ARTICHOKE

WHAT IF

How many times have you heard a child or an adult ask, “WHAT IF. . .? “ It is such a normal question because it is an unknown phenomenon that is perfectly natural to wonder about? WHAT IF the stars fall out of the sky? WHAT IF the sun or moon doesn’t ‘rise’ for no reason? What if I planted a yellow daffodil bulb and it came up purple?

I don’t remember being particularly inquisitive as a child and it’s a pity. Most likely I was not paid attention to. Somehow had the idea that I should already know the answers to some of my ‘silly’ questions. No one ever told me ‘there are no silly questions!’

This does not apply only to children . . . it also applies to adults, particularly elderly adults, uninformed or un educated adults who couldn’t possibly know the answer to their questions. I’m thinking of adults who are from other countries or inexperienced adults in some area.

I had a ‘flash’ of insight about ‘WHAT IF’S’ the other day. ‘WHAT IF’ a person asked that question and instead of ‘blowing it off’ as some people do, we engaged them in a conversation or question, what do you think would happen, and carry them on an adventure for themselves? It certainly could offer them some alternatives and encourage them to ‘make up’ ideas especially when we don’t have a clue what would really happen.

I worked with a woman once who was seeing a therapist. When my friend would worry about something, the therapist would tell her to DEAL with the situation WHEN it came up. There is a solution to all ‘WHAT IFS’ when the time is right. I have never forgotten that and use it often.

Sometimes I will go over in my mind two solutions to WHAT IS THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN? It is amazing how that works for me! I do come up with a solution and very often discover that what I have been ‘chewing on’ isn’t that bad!!!!

The mind is SOOOOO powerful and can serve us with creative thoughts or drag us through a tunnel of fear, worry, dread. We all have the power to RECOGNIZE when we are doing THAT to ourselves and CHANGE OUR MINDS.

When I can no longer do some things I used to do easily,( like walking far, running, gardening and traveling, )I sometimes lament over my situation. However, I have re-created other things to do that satisfy me greatly, (like indoor gardening, writing, reading , making greeting cards, studying subjects that greatly interest me and just plain sitting in nature and appreciating all the beauty!) I never used to sit long enough to ‘take it all in and be grateful.

Time and curiosity

Awaken the creator

In all of us.

BLESSINGS