One woman is talking to another. They are surrounded by plants and vines, filling the house around them, obscuring the couch they are sitting on. “Can you believe this all started with one African violet?”
I’ve always loved that cartoon because, yes, I can believe it.So many things begin small and morph into much bigger things. Right now it is happening at our house where a relatively simple ceiling and floor project led to all the walls needing painting and then, of course, now the trim needs paint too.
It can happen in fitness, in either direction, a bad habit slips into two, then four, then more. Or, simply vowing to add more steps to your day leads to running or eating healthy. Before you know it, you’ve got a Fitbit.
I’ve seen it happen in community service. Reading with a struggling child leads to signing up to be a mentor. Feeding one hungry child leads to figuring out a way to feed hundreds or thousands.
Have you ever accidentally started collecting something? Maybe you just bought one cute Beanie Baby and before you knew it, you were drowning in your own collectibles? If so, try un-collecting things. It is so freeing.
One thing leads to another so maybe it would be wise to be mindful of each African violet, tweet, word, vote, purchase and each mental, spiritual and physical step we take.
Dr. Cindy Ryan 