Flowers in January

26 of 45 Moments of Wonder

I don’t know about you, but for me, January seems to be a month that will never end. I am not a fan of winter anyway, and spring seems like it’s a lifetime away.

I tend to get down in January. The days are grey. It’s cold out. There are not a lot of sunny days or beautiful things out in the world. The novelty of winter has worn off and we are ready for something new.

But what if the problem with January isn’t actually any of those things. What if the problem with January is my perception of January. Henri Matisse said, “There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” What if I just haven’t wanted to see the flowers in January?

This week has been tough. I have been experiencing a lot of pain. I have been unable to get out and do the things I want to do because I am recovering from surgery. But what if I stopped complaining and instead looked for what I can do? Yesterday I could walk without crutches for the first time. Today I am going to attend a partial work day at a meeting I have been looking forward to. I may not get through the whole day, but I can focus on the part I can do. Each day I am able to get a little closer to healing. Each day I have more mobility and less pain. These are the things I need to focus my attention on.

Like finding flowers in January, it isn’t always easy to find a positive perspective. But I wonder where in your life you can shift your perspective just a little to begin to see things in a different light? What are you learning in your challenging situations? Where are the areas of growth for you? How will this experience make you a better person? Is this situation telling you it is time to make a change or a shift in your life?

My challenge to myself today is to shift my perspective. No more complaining about the things I can not control. It is still January and it will be for two more days. I can’t control that. But I can control how I step into this day – with optimism and wonder or with criticism and negativity.

How will you shift your perspective today? Where will you find flowers on this cold, January day?