The past few days I have been in South Dakota. Each time I am home, we seem to make a pilgrimage to what is left of our family farm. Walking around what used to be our garden, much of it has been overtaken by remnants of weeds and lots of springtime grass. In the mix of it all, the lilac flowers bloom. Beauty in the mix, too often missed.
This image triggered in me something about how, in the maze of life, we can easily ignore the beauty hidden in the twigs, weeds, and overcrowded growth. Yet there is beauty present, when we take the time to soak it in, think about it, and be grateful for it.
Maybe it takes being miles from a hustle-bustle civilization to realize this.
- Our surroundings are noisy.
- Our lives cluttered.
- Our time overcrowded.
When the racket clears, the lesson here is for us to notice the beauty around us and be inspired by it. Taking a pause to breathe in what is present can only enliven our spirit and refresh our mind.
One can look at this in the reverse, too. We all have beauty within, and we want it to bloom through and be observed. It is not about being loud, but it is about using our colorful nature in ways to make a place brighter and better. In here lies the second lesson of the flower in the weeds.
We need to clear our own clutter rather than just wait for someone to walk by and take note. Bringing clarity of purpose to our work and interactions will clear the path of vision for others to see who we are and what we can do.
The final lesson of the beauty in the weeds is that it all will fade. The color will disappear and who will notice what once was? The answer stands in the people who spot it during our full bloom and by the seeds we leave behind. New growth arises from how we have lived our life, if lived well and with full purpose. Although our life will fade one day, it is how others will carry parts of it forward, adding their own splendor into life’s mix.
From one image caught as I walked by, three lessons spring.
Lesson 1: Stop to see the beauty of what others can do and how they enrich us with their works and words.
Lesson 2: Clear your clutter, using your gifts fully and enabling others to see and embrace.
Lesson 3: Leave good works and thoughts in your wake. Leave it so the future will remember and carry some forward, adding to it with their own robust spirit and good works.
There are life lessons all around. We just need to see the beauty in the weeds.
I loved this post, Jon! What a wonderful reminder to actively notice and appreciate the beauty all around us.
I am happiest not when everything is going my way but when I notice the beauty in the weeds. This applies to my life in so many ways, and I appreciate and perpetuate a life of joy and gratitude.
Have a grateful day!
Chrysta
Thanks, Chrysta, for adding to the conversation. Wonderful! Continue to notice, and be grateful. Thank you! Jon
Very true. I wrote about similar—a story about seeing the beauty in negative spaces (in my case, Iraq). Always take the time to recognize the diamonds in the rough.
Brandon, I will need to look your post up, or reply here with a link. It is important to see “beauty in negative spaces.” Life is filled with both, so need to learn and grow from both. Great to connect again! Take care! Jon
Great lessons shared Jon!
I think it so often happens to most of us when we fail to recognize the beauty around us, nor do we appreciate what we have with us. Instead, we have our eyes and mind on things that we shouldn’t ideally.
You are so right about having the need to de-clutter our minds, which happens when we remove the things we don’t need from our surroundings and our life. This is what gives way to something new that helps us progress further.
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks, Harleena. I always appreciate your voice in the conversations; it rings with insight and experience – a valuable combination. Thanks! Jon