Hi,
My name is Becca Gardner.
I was a worrier,
Control freak and an overthinker.
I used to worry about overthinking.
I want to take you on a journey to peace of mind.
I'm going to share a story with you today around possibility and just not knowing.
In life,
We often believe we have everything figured out.
We might make plans,
Set our expectations and convince ourselves we know exactly how things will unfold.
But every now and then,
Life throws us a curveball reminding us that the future is uncertain and full of surprises.
Now my curveball was only slightly curvy.
To set the premise of my story,
In England,
Where I live,
We tend to buy poinsettia plants around Christmas time.
It's a thing.
They seem to be the traditional plant of choice that doesn't get packed away with all the other Christmas decorations.
Unless,
Of course,
You get a fake one.
But left on the side well into February until someone in the house cracks and bins it or pops it on the compost pile.
I'm being quite generous with February to be fair.
It's most likely around about the 1st of January.
But anyways,
You get my drift.
In November 2022,
I purchased a poinsettia in a stunning shade of,
Wait for it,
Pink.
To be honest,
I was so excited because it perfectly complemented my Christmas decorations and I delighted in the seamless coordination it brought to my house.
However,
As the months passed and Christmas came and went,
The pink faded,
Leaving behind a rather ordinary,
Wait for it,
Green plant.
Despite its transformation,
I did hold on to hope that it might regain its pink colour,
Maybe in time for Christmas next year.
I joke because I knew the chance of this happening was zero to none.
Looking back,
I think I wasn't giving my plant a chance and believing in its abilities.
As Christmas 2023 approached,
I felt the urge to discard my plain,
Boring plant and purchase a new one.
However,
Knowing my husband would be absolutely horrified because we don't bin plants in our house unless they're dead,
Unless I've killed them,
I resisted the temptation and stuck with it.
It had become a running joke in our household as I knew it was preventing me from getting a colourful one and I do love a Christmas plant.
He always joked that I kill plants,
Which between me and you annoyed me because I had the ability to keep the whole family alive with all the food prep falling solely on my very capable hands.
But anyway,
I digress.
In March 2024,
Something remarkable happened.
I noticed the leaves of my poinsettia begin to turn pink once again.
Day by day,
More pink emerged,
Reminding me of the beauty of unexpected change.
This experience with my plant served as a powerful reminder that we can never truly predict the future.
Despite our best intentions and very careful planning,
Life has a way of surprising us.
I'm seeing more and more it's not about knowing everything or having all the answers.
It's about embracing the uncertainty and being comfortable with the uncertainty and really trusting in the possibilities that lie ahead.
This is a new perspective for me.
I thought knowing what was going to happen was the place to be.
Surely,
If I hadn't considered every possible outcome,
I was being,
I don't know,
Uncaring.
As I watch my plant continue to transform,
I am filled with gratitude for the very ordinary reminder it has given me.
It's a beautiful symbol of resilience,
Hope,
And the limitless potential for change.
As someone who has a history to be a bit of a control freak,
This taught me so much.
Life constantly shows us that we can't predict what's ahead despite our mind's attempts to do so.
Do you notice your mind craving for certainty?
Certainty feels comfortable for humans.
All minds do it.
You aren't alone.
The most certain thing in life is uncertainty,
Which is both terrifying and oddly amusing.
I'm really seeing that embracing this uncertainty can be surprisingly exciting and liberating,
Opening us up to new experiences and opportunities.
I have spent most of my adult life not having eyes for this,
And this is why I'm compelled to share this simple story with you today.
As each visitor comes round,
I take them over to my green and pink plant and tell them the story,
Whether they're interested or not.
Most humour me.
It makes me smile,
And I'm learning that it's the little things that make you smile.
Thanks for listening.
I've been Becca Gardner.
