Do you know why I love flowers so much?
There was a day I could not see the abundance that surrounded me. Sad…
We didn’t have enough money, or go on vacations. We needed more room in our home. My marriage didn’t have enough connection and I didn’t seem to have enough time with my family. At the same time I couldn’t get enough to for myself. All I could see was lack and want.
The Lesson:
Then one day I read how nature displays its abundance so effortlessly, so I started paying attention to nature.
I noticed my flowers, and as the growing season went on, I was taught a great lesson.
From one seed grew a green shoot; then leaves formed. Miraculously one flower budded and then blossoms bloomed. In the matter of a week I suddenly saw five more flower buds, then ten, and more.
My once mostly dirt flower bed was abundantly covered with flowers and very little dirt could be seen.
I was humbled.
Applying the Lesson:
So I made a goal to start noticing the abundance in my life more.
It started out small, and sometimes I wondered if what I was noticing was a blessing or a struggle.
I was blessed with an abundance of children (not just my five, but often the neighbor kids to). I noticed we did actually have money, even if it wasn’t a lot. I noticed the abundance of small and simple acts my husband did to show me love, and I started consciously accepting them. I noticed I had more abundance than I realized and I began choosing to be grateful for that abundance.
From that abundance, more things grew in my life.
My family relationships budded and blossomed, and with that our connection grew.
Miracles began happening and we were able to purchase things we needed AND wanted more often.
We made time for family activities and vacations; and we laughed and played more.
I started realizing that I had so much more to offer than I thought and started sharing that with others.
And some of our greatest friendships were formed with people in our community.
1-Seeing Abundance:
Since then I stopped resenting the little work it takes to water my flowers and watch over them. They remind me of the lessons I was taught during that hard time. And when I am having a hard time remembering….
I go outside and marvel again at the abundance and beauty my flowers remind me of.
Having abundance in your life takes work, but it’s worth the little work it takes, because the rewards are miraculous.
The work I had to do first was NOTICE! Notice the abundance that was already in my life. Notice and acknowledge that it was there. Even thank it for showing up to bless me.
The more I chose to notice, the more abundant my life became; and things started to show up for me.
I started out noticing the abundance of grass in my yard, and the leaves on the trees.
Then I started to notice the abundance of smiles when my kids were playing.
I began to recognize and accept the little acts of love and kindness my family showed to me, like snuggles and hugs, kisses and giggles, helping each other out, getting my bath water ready, etc.
The more I chose to notice, the more abundant my life became; and more things started to show up for me.
2-A Little Work for Great Rewards:
Flowers need a little bit of work. A little bit of prep work at the beginning of the summer to loosen and nourish the soil is needed. Then 10-15 minutes of watering the flowers once a day. God provides the rest.
The only job the flower has is… to BE! To become what it was always meant to become. It only needs to accept what it has been given and create abundance with it.
Often I wonder if the Lord wants us to do the same. To bloom where we are planted. To just BE and fulfill the measure of our creation, by accepting what has been given to us and create more abundance with it (using our talents, skills, interests, and gifts).
A little bit of work on our part and God provides the rest.
If we are willing to accept what has been given to us by noticing that it exists, we will be blessed with more. We can then choose to create more with the abundance we have, creating more abundance for us and others.
3-Weathering Storms:
Sometimes storms roll in and threaten my flowers.
Recently a hail storm blew in and pelted my beautiful flowers. They were shocked and the flowers fell off. The leaves looked battered…
But with a little time they pulled through and within a week I had beautiful new blossoms again.
They withstood the storm because they had good roots to keep them planted and strong.
Likewise our roots keep us grounded when the storms of life blow in.
My roots are grounded in my faith. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I have a testimony of Jesus Christ.
When I encounter tough times, I know I can count on Jesus Christ to help me through. He has calmed my fears, comforted me, brought me peace and even joy in circumstances that looked bleak and devastating. But He has proven that He is always there during those storms and He helps me blossom and grow despite the storms.
The lessons I have learned are the reason I love flowers so much! They remind me that life is full of joy, beauty and opportunities. They remind me that I can bloom wherever were I am planted, with what I have right now. They remind me that I am not alone, and that my Savior will take care of me, because He is the source of the abundance in my life.
I encourage you to look at nature and notice the abundance it displays. Open your heart, and see what lessons you can be taught.
PS If you would like more tools to help you notice and attract more abundance around you, sign up for a FREE 20 minute mini session with me HERE.