What Would Make This Easy?

With their tall stalks and giant, happy faces, sunflowers radiate joy to me. I've never grown them, but apparently they are one of the easiest flowers to grow. I think of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's meditation that offers the line, "I see myself as a flower, I feel fresh." Maybe it's because of their size that they come to mind when I hear the phrase. It's as if I am looking at another face, especially since I am short and they can be at my eye level. Often their heavy heads droop from the weight, but they don't seem to mind. I wish I could be that way. When we don't feel "fresh as a flower," what can we do?

What I do is ask questions. In my morning journaling practice today, I sat with a challenge before me and I thought if I were a client of mine and they presented this issue, what would I ask? The question that came was, "what would make this easy?" I started writing on the prompt and it was as if the floodgates opened allowing all kinds of ideas to flow that I didn't know I knew.

Sometimes this is all we need to do. Ask ourselves a question, one that steps out of the mire of details and circumstance and has us think bigger. The question isn't how can I change this, or fix this, or why is this here? The question is how I can find ease in this issue just as it is. The wording has more acceptance or allowance for whatever is present and invites us to get curious about how we can meet it that would feel better to us. 

This week's invitation is to take something that is weighing on you, or presenting you with a challenge, and ask, "what would make this easy?" You might be surprised at what insights come. If you're not someone who journals, find a private space and ask it aloud to yourself and answer aloud. Keep the refrain going...what would make this easy is...Name them slowly as they come. And add a "yes," after each one... "yes, that would make it easier." When you have some clear understandings, how does it feel to take them in -- to know that you do, in fact, know what is needed? Does your energy around the issue feel any different in your body?

We have more wisdom than we often realize if we just slow down to ask ourselves the question that accesses it. If we take that time to listen, the answers will bloom as easily as sunflowers grow. I wish you all a week of ease.

🌻
Jean

P.S. Listening to ourselves is a practice. I welcome you to nurture that practice in my weekly mindfulness groups and workshops. If you need help finding the question for something specific, I offer private mindfulness consultations where we can invite your wisdom to emerge.