Food For Thought: Spring, Week 4
Trying something new—and taking inspiration from nature.
One of the most beautiful aspect of spring is that it doesn’t happen all at once.
Spring unfurls, unfolds, unearths. It reveals itself slowly. Day by day. I love walking in my garden in the morning to look at which buds have appeared overnight, which tiny leaves or shoots are pushing up through dewy morning soil. Spring continually gifts us with new delights that did not exist the day before.
I find this spring way of being inspiring for making changes in my own life. Changes do not have to happen all at once. They can emerge, piece by piece, bit by it, consistently. It is ok if I skip a day when trying to build a new habit. In fact, it is preferable to make a big change this way: a little bite at a time, savoring it, allowing it to really settle into my life. Then one morning, we wake up and everything is different. The whole hillside is green and buzzing with flowers.
Lately, I found myself feeling addicted to my phone. It is always with me, from the minute I wake up until the minute I close my eyes to go to sleep. So I began a small simple practice of phone-free mornings. I wait at least an hour to look at my phone, and instead I light a candle and drink tea out of the teapot I made, journal, read, watch the sunrise. I had this intention a few months ago, and have slowly made it a daily habit.
Yesterday I was up at 5:45 and met with a gorgeous pink sunrise (remind me to tell you about my 100 Sunrises Project sometime). Today I slept in and skipped the whole thing, going straight to my coffee and dog walk. But tomorrow the teapot will be there, waiting for me. Slowly, slowly.
I am also gradually introducing phone free evenings. My goal is to not be on my phone from 8pm-8am. I feel more clarity, calmness, and composure when I do this.
But like the spring, I am going unhurriedly into newness, integrating the fresh energy into my routines, watching myself come alive.
This week’s writing prompts are less about food and more about growth. Give yourself the gift of taking 15 minutes to check in with yourself. The answers within, waiting to emerge, might surprise and delight you.
