The rose season has officially arrived here in Growing Zone 7... or is it 8? I have no idea.
I'm merely aware that here in Virginia those delicately layered blossoms have prolifically popped up in lawns and terraces everywhere. I'm not only bewitched by the fragrances roses emit, but by the sheer beauty that comes from a bud that explodes into soft layers of exquisite color.
So how can these little beauties cause anyone any angst? Especially me, a roseophile? (I just made that word up, so save yourself the time and don't even bother looking it up on your iPhone App.) I can just say this: I have the amazing ability to make ANYTHING a fire drill in my head, even flower growing.
You see, my climbing rose was climbing so well that I thought, "Gosh, I need another trellis for all of these new branches! And I need to get one before all of the pretty roses die!" So onto my crowded TO DO list I crammed,
"Find White Rose Trellis!"
Only, there weren't any white rose trellises the exact size and color and shape as my current trellis in the entire Alexandria, VA vicinity. I know this because I believe I combed the entire Alexandria, VA vicinity looking for one. (By the way, that's a lot of nurseries and hardware stores, in case you've never been here.)
Now, this hunting and gathering exercise might be a fun task for someone who has time on their hands (let me know if you know someone like that because I don't) but I myself am like many of you and have a job to do and a family to take care of and a million projects to complete. So this endeavor became yet another crazy must-do in my mind. And, of course, like many of my mental fire drills, it proved an utter waste of time and energy.
Turns out that I didn't even need another trellis! I actually stopped what I was doing one day and stepped back and took a really good look at my rose bush. I went and got some twine from the garage and strategically tied the drooping stems onto the trellis already in place. I cut off some wayward, heavy stems that couldn't really be attached and made a bouquet of freshly cut roses for my kitchen. It probably took me 10 minutes and I really enjoyed myself.
I think these useless, self-inflicted mental fire drills happen not only to me but to many people. We think we need to solve a problem by taking the most convoluted, time-consuming approach, when actually what we need to do is tell our mind to shut up! We need to stop, step back from what we're doing, and think of a logical, simple solution. But without stopping, we keep seeing all of the fires that need to be put out instead of the easy fixes that are within our reach.
I hear so many wonderful personal growth stories from people who have been forced to take a step back and smell the roses. (You knew I just had to say it...) Whether it's something great like starting a family or taking a sabatical, or painful like being diagnosed with a chronic illness or losing a job or a loved one, stopping the train from running a hundred miles an hour and getting off track can actually provide a much needed shift in perspective.
How about this, try creating a situation for yourself that will stop the mental train from running. Try being in this peaceful state long enough to let the mind breathe and just be. Listen. Run. Walk. Meditate. Bake. Sing. Make mud pies. Or, for heaven's sake, smell some blasted roses. Do whatever you can to stop the brain from constantly finding and putting out fires. It may be the only way you can actually discover what you really need to do next.
Now, if you need me, I will be outside admiring my roses. And trying not to notice any weeds.
No comments:
Post a Comment