Poppies

Early this morning I went on a walk to clear my head and I walked past these beautiful poppies. So glorious, they have been blooming for a few weeks now and seem to be getting more and more wonderful.

We have a lot of poppies growing around here, but they are rarely in places where you would expect to see them. More often than not they are growing from the cracks in the pavement or in wasteland spaces. It really struck me how glorious they are and how they brighten up the area, they attract insects and bees; they are the little bit of fairy dust that brings colour and hope into some of the most desolate of spaces.

It struck me that these flowers grow against the odds in the poorest of conditions and yet they bring so much hope and joy into the world.

Sometimes we think that in order to grow personally or be the person we would like to be in the world we need perfect conditions. In fact the world around us does a damn good job of making us think that we need to be perfect in order to bloom brightly - that we may need the ‘perfect’ home, life, job, body, face, family etc etc… And often the thought of perfect conditions can stop us taking the first step or planting the seed.

Have you ever found yourself waiting for the right time or saying, “I really want to do this but I need these things to be right first?” My question to you would be, is that REALLY true? Or is that what the noise of the world around you is telling you? Or, is that an excuse you are using because making the change or planting the seed is scary?

What the poppies teach us however is that the most beautiful flowers can grow in the most desolate of spaces. The fact is that for the poppy that desolate space is the perfect condition for growth. And when it does grow it can turn that desolate space into a beautiful space, it can bring joy and hope, attract life and change the world around it.

I think we need more poppies in this world.

What conditions do you need to grow and blossom and change your world?