And the Day Came

A change in perspective courtesy of my garden

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. -Anis Nin

Do you have a favorite quote?

One that you carry with you, lingering in the back of your mind. Does it haunt you? Or does it motivate you?

One of mine is a quote by Anis Nin. The words dare me to step out of my preconceived notions and step into my purpose often.

To be bold and beautiful, stand out once in a while, as I was meant to be.

Not tucked away in some corner of my dreams. Not stifled by the weight of opinions and rules placed upon me but to bloom into what my heart tells me I should do and be.

On my journey to live a mindful lifestyle, some of my greatest lessons come from Mother Nature, particularly in my backyard.

I try to create a place of zen and reflection amongst my trinkets; my repurposed yard art sprinkled with plants and flowers.

My comfort zone.

A place for a daily garden check, my present moment mixed with care and attention. As I water my plants, see their growth and newness sprouting, or see where they might need more attention, it instantly brings me into a mindful state.

My backyard is primarily rock and dirt. No grass. I have the outer edges along the fence and a 20 by 20-foot box for planting. I deemed the area within the box my “zen” garden.

My gazing globe sits in the center of my garden. It is my place to sit under the tree, relax, and reflect on stillness when needed.

This year, I chose to forego the vegetables in my garden box and fill it with flowers and greenery. One plant I did leave was my artichoke plant. It is like an old friend that traveled with me from my old home.

The Miracle of The Artichoke Plant

It rewarded me greatly this year with a change in perspective and a life lesson about the risk of allowing the bud to blossom.

For years I heard that if you let the bud blossom, the plant would die. I lived in fear of timing the harvest just right. I saw the rewards as being the tender delicacy of the artichoke's heart. Often I cut it a little too soon and ended up going to the market to purchase the delicacies in a jar instead.

I made the conscious choice this year to go along with my present moment mindful lifestyle, to let my artichoke blossom. The rewards of seeing the gorgeous purple, fragrant bloom created an immeasurable perspective change.

There is more than one purpose for the artichoke plant.

This plant is not quick. It needs time, care, and energy. The thorns represent the artichoke thistle heritage. Thistles are often viewed as weeds with prickly leaves that can minorly hurt you.

It is not a poisonous plant, but the center -the choke- can be a choking hazard. The heart is protected by these two things — the choke and the prickly leaves.

Letting the artichoke blossom does not kill the plant. It dies back for this season and will start its growth process again next time. The only consequence is it can no longer be consumed or used for food.

So, What Can You Learn From This Story?

I see how this correlates so well within my own growth process.

My thoughts created weeds with thorns that protected my heart. Allowing myself to blossom takes time.

My thoughts were what would choke off my voice also to protect my heart.

Using my voice with care and energy, I can change the perspective of my heritage, and I can blossom into something beautiful.

A pure in the moment experience, based on awareness and focused attention and no judgment for allowing it to blossom. My thoughts can no longer consume me, and I can sit in the joy and beauty of the blossom.

The risk it took to let the artichokes blossom was worth the momentary gratification of following what others had told me.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.