Frosting Topped, Confetti Mountains

Changing seasons

Frosting Topped, Confetti Mountains

I’ve been mowing my lawn for an entire summer, again.  Well, not all of it effectively.  I could tell as I was going about this task once more.  I noticed that I could see the mower wheel tracks still showing in the areas yet to be tackled and it caused me to look more carefully.

This additional effort of looking more deeply allowed me to see a pattern.  I had been following a simple, single approach in my lawn care.  So, I saw a well-worn repetition that allowed some grass to be cut, while some, pressed down by wheels, had learned my approach so well, that the grass had begun to grow in a sideways direction to circumvent the action of mower blades.  My habitual work was so fixed that stripes of aslant growing grass had become the norm.  In essence, a closer look exposed flawed results and motivated me to alter a behavior that seemingly worked, and replace it with a new course that would give me a more consistently clipped lawn.

Beginning a new course always takes more time, thinking and creativity than simply doing the same thing over and over again.  So, I have to admit, that when I began to implement the change it made me feel a little uncomfortable as well as hopeful.  Uncomfortable, because I had to engage in this task differently, all the while spending more time & effort and hoping it would all be worth it in the end.  Fortunately, after I put my lawn equipment away and walked out into the green for a little result verification, I could see that it was all worth it.

“Varying the way I go about living my life, in small ways, can produce an amazingly different and positive outcome.”  Was the thought that raced through my mind as if blown there by the early autumn afternoon breeze, while looking out, past my manicured lawn, at the frosting topped, confetti sprinkled Oquirrh Mountains.  It seemed an especially appropriate thought to have while breathing in and feeling the exhibited, changing of a season.  So, now I’m also feeling the desire to search for additional potentially positive outcomes. 

Attention given to finding new, possible positive outcomes, created through examination of well-worn repetition & naturally occurring changes of season can expose flaws and motivate a person to make small, yet impactful variances. It is exactly this kind of attention that is causing me to look much more deeply at other potentially circular habits and actions that could use a little more variance.

After all, you and I have been living our lives for an entire summer, again.  Well, not necessarily in the most effective way possible.  Perhaps you and I can see the tracks created by the way we’ve been comfortably living and they’re giving us an opportunity to look more carefully for a more positive result.