Since last Sunday, I've been pondering a comment I received to last week's Show and Tell post. In the post, I took a little walk down memory lane, and mentioned that I'm feeling a little restless. In response to my post, a commentor said in part:
"Make new memories with those you love now. Dwelling in the past has pleasure; just don't go back that far."
It made me think. At first, I wondered if I sounded unhappy (I'm not--just restless). The comment sounded like something of a warning. Truthfully, I adore my husband and my current life. Conversely, the time period I discussed in my post was a tumultuous point in my life, and the man I discussed in the post wasn't even someone I kissed, but rather a harmless flirtation.
The post made me really start thinking, though, about the author's encouragement to make new memories, and that in turn made me examine exactly why I'm so restless. While I've known for months that I'm restless, I hadn't really given much thought to why that is the case, and merely chalked it up to being very busy with various obligations. It hadn't actually occurred to me to dissect the underpinnings. But the comment sparked some much-needed introspection this week.
A good bit of the reason I'm restless, I think, is that I am always waiting for something. I am someone who wants to do everything perfectly, at the perfect time. I want my ducks in a row. But the end result of this is that I spend a lot of time thinking. . .and planning. . .and waiting. . .but not DOING. That is the problem.
So this week I started looking at all of the things that I've been meaning to do, eventually, "when the time is right." I was startled to realize that there are scads of things big and small.
Which brings us to my Show and Tell:
I've been wanting to grow this pumpkin for years, but I didn't want to spend the money on the seeds because it seemed like a waste of money (who NEEDS pumpkins?), or I was worried it wouldn't grow right in my soil, or I wanted to wait until my garden was a little bigger. . .The seeds are a couple of dollars. If they grow, they may make me ecstatic with how delicious and cool they are. If they don't, I'm out a couple of bucks, and I can stop thinking about them. How silly am I for waiting?
I'm going to try to do a couple of things every month that I've been "waiting for the right time" to do.
Don't underestimate the power of commenting.
12 comments:
Do you know what I'm excited to see? The photos of the pumpkins--no matter if they are large or small--next fall when they grow :-) Even if you only have a photo of some vines, I think it will be cool to see a tangible example of action.
Even if it's just a little thing, I'm glad you went ahead and decided to do one of those things that you can push off. I have so.very.many of those things and yet the time never seems right...
I hope your pumpkins grow! Because I think maybe you *do* need them. (And if they grow you can roast the seeds...mmmmm.)
Very cool. And don't underestimate the power of posts, I'll be pondering that myself now this week.
What a great show and tell! I love the idea of doing something simple, like planting pumpkin seeds, and having a little reminder growing in your yard. Every time that you look at that spot in your yard you can remind yourself that you are a woman of action. Soon there will be no limits to the the things that you will accomplish. That is totally awesome.
Thank you for such an inspiring post!! I have been feeling 'restless' myself lately. And you are right - I need to start DOING. And stop sitting at home thinking about how restless I am, about how something is missing.
Thanks! And good luck with your pumpkins!!
NaComLeavMo
Good luck with your To Do List. Regardless of what crop comes out of it part of the pleasure is in the growing.
How marvelous that you're acting on your dreams! (I know...pumkins. But still...) Something every month is a great idea.
Thanks for stopping by....and yes, that hair is incredible. I rotfl every time I see one of those pictures. The only good thing about it was...I only had to fix it once a week or so...then lots of hairspray. Yuck!!! ROTFL!
I'm with jamied. This is a really inspiring post. I am a planner and I plan and plan and plan to the point where I'm over what I've been planning before I get anywhere. I think it's time for less planning and more action. And I have just the project in mind...
I'm glad that you did what you wanted to do.
I'm reading a great book (A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle - it's an Oprah book) which indirectly speaks to what you write here - that happiness is found by living in the present moment - that happiness is a choice we make for ourselves by being present in our lives and not allowing past thoughts/histories or future wishes/desires/hopes cloud what is happening in our lives right at this moment. It's such a simple concept, but incredibly profound.
i think it is so great that you are planting pumpkins!! I love pumpkin seeds, ohh soo good. good luck with that! and i think its great that you are trying to do stuff you have always said you would do! how fun!
Thanks for your comment today!!
Great Post!Very inspiring.
just making sure that I am not underestimating the power of commenting:)
Loved the pumpkin picture.. and I am longing for a dehydrator, but they are hard to find where I live. Ah the joys of dried peaches and strawberries. That is the convoluted inspiration your post created for me... I need to get a food dryer by next (southern hemisphere) summer so I can make myself yummy dried fruit!
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