Spring is new life

Spring is probably my favorite season, but it has new meaning this year. Last year, I was in such a whirlwind that I was not sure what was happening. I had words and phrases that would just come to me, whenever; I started running (at 5am needless to say); and my entire outlook on life dramatically changed. For the good. I never saw it before, but I love watching the flowers (remember the bud vs. bloom post) come up from the ground after a long sleep. That is where we are...ready to come out of our slumber and show the world who we are. The green grass represents growing and color where dull and drab was over the cold winter. We are vibrant and exciting and ready to let the world see us bloom. I have messed up in my life, but hopefully not so badly that I cannot fix it or will not be forgiven. Faith comes at this time of year as it is restored into most Christians as we celebrate Easter. Every flower is unique as each of us are and it is imperative that we take our call from Mother Nature and share our selves, without hesitation with everyone around us. You have been given a chance to change your life...are you willing to do it? What would you do if you were not afraid? We would probably do lots of things...but are you willing to try? Even if you could fail? Would you feel worse for trying and failing or failing to try? Now is the perfect time to start a new - to try something you never thought you would. Rocky and I just celebrated our 1st year anniversary from our first running morning. I remember being so nervous about what to expect, seriously thinking to myself, "What did I get myself into?" Taking a chance on something new, something completed off my radar at the time, makes me better. The other day, I was not feeling my MOXIE, and I had to ask someone, "How do I get inspired when I am so used to inspiring others?" D told me that I need to get inspiration from others, just like others do. I find inspiration in admiring people who are so committed to their dreams that they stop doing what was expected of them. They leave the job they were educated for and follow their hearts. That is inspiring to me - for someone to have that kind of courage to walk away and be firm in their beliefs. It is spring - what new life do you want for you? It can be done. Go get it.

To be a bud or to be a BLOOM!

As I continue to grow in my ever anticipated yearning for life, I came across another quote that seems to sum everything up. I am paraphrasing, but simply said, "it is more painful to risk to be a bud than than the risk is to bloom." That got me thinking...when you see a bed of flowers just as they are emerging from the soil in spring, do we stop to think that the flowers are doing what they are intended to do? Do they wait until another flower pops its head or start to open? No, each flower is meant to bloom at a particular time, when it is right for that flower - that is its purpose. Have you ever tried to fence in a flower or shrub? Guess what happens? The foliage starts reaching for more and moving around obstacles put in their way makes the flowers choose another direction to grow. Like a detour sign on the highway. So many times, we try to fence ourselves in and try not to bloom because we don't want to be ahead of the other "flowers". But, that is not what we were meant to do. We are designed to bloom. Fear keeps us from many things - yet the flower knows no fear. If it knew a storm was coming that would potentially damage all that was beautiful about it, it would still bloom. It would not hole back into the ground where it would be safe and then grow again when the coast was clear. The more we are cautious and reserved, the less we live to our full potential. We have all seen those flowers that only part of it seems to grow the way it was supposed to and the then the rest of it just looks kind of odd, like it is not the way it is supposed to be. What usually happens is that those end up in the trash. We have to extended all of our petals, with the pistal (our heart)exposed ready to give it our all, without fear of what the other flowers are doing. All we can be is who we are, as God intended. So, I say, today, let's do our thing...and BLOOM!!!!!