« Don’t, Not and No |Home| Joy Links-August 11, 2007 »
Taking Score
By karen | August 9, 2007
When I was a little girl, around about the tender age of 7 or 8, somehow I came to have a small packet of flower seeds. It was just one small packet . The picture on the front showed a whole garden full of beautiful Zinnia’s in every color of the rainbow- pink, yellow, orange, red. They were absolutely beautiful and I was enchanted.
I envisioned myself planting these seeds and waking up the next morning to a beautiful flower garden. I could see millions and millions of these beautiful flowers in my minds eye and I just knew that I would have the most beautiful flowers on the block.
My parents argued with me. They said that it would take some time to grow the flowers but I could probably have them sometime in the summer. When I asked them to help me plant the flowers, I got the answer that is often typical of parents even back then, “maybe later, when I have more time”.
Well, I wanted that beautiful flower garden and if it was going to take time for the flowers to bloom I didn’t have time to wait for my parents help. I needed to plant those flowers right away. So I found a small patch of dirt and I dug a few holes and I planted those seeds immediately. I watered the seeds well and I set out to wait.
The next morning I ran out to my “flower garden” secretly hoping to see a whole garden full of beautiful Zinnia’s but really believing that at the very least there would be some little green shoots popping out of the ground. But as I stared into my garden all I could see was the dirt I had moved around the day before.
So I waited and I waited. Every day, it was the same, there was nothing, no little green shoots, no flowers. I did not see any evidence whatsoever that my flowers were even going to grow. I was so disappointed.
So I thought, I’ll just check on those little seeds and see what they are doing. So I got my little spade and I went out to my garden and I dug a little hole where I had planted a seed. I saw the seed. It was sprouting! It just hadn’t come up through the dirt yet. So I checked a few of the others and some were sprouting and some were just the same as when I had put them in the ground. Well, I thought, I will have some flowers after all. I was excited.
So I covered all of the seeds back up again and I watered them well and I set out to wait. I waited and I waited and I waited. No flowers. So I waited and I waited and I waited some more. No flowers.
After a week or three of waiting I went out there with my spade again and I dug up the seeds. My heart sank. The seeds that had been sprouting were now dead and none of the seeds were growing anything. They were all dead.
I learned my lesson. Some things take time and it was a mistake for me to dig them up to see how they were doing. I should have let them be and I would have had flowers.
I think that often we get caught in that same problem when we are trying to accomplish and achieve our goals. We gather the energy, we are feeling good, we are doing what it takes, so we decide to take score, just a small look at how well we are doing according to the many vast measurements that we have to check on our progress. We look at the scorecard, be it the scale, the stat counter, whatever it may be. We’re excited, we know that things are happening, so we check our scorecard and it registers–No change or even worse. Our energies are deflated and we are so disappointed.
But the fact is when your energies are in alignment, you are making progress. When you are feeling good and you have the energies directed towards the goal, and you are receiving inspired actions and taking those inspired actions, you are progressing and you are on your way to getting whatever it is that you want.
But when you take score and you don’t see the physical manifestation of it yet, the disappointment that sets in often slows you down. Just like when I checked on my flower seeds, it stops the flow of the energy.
Sometimes it even changes your wonderful and inspired actions it into a desperate and motivated action. Motivated action, as in worrying that if you don’t do it this way it will never work. Motivated action, as in asking for advice and begging for the answers from someone else. Motivated action, as in trusting another’s judgment over your own. Motivated action, as in trying to force the way and force it to be done already.
The inspirations and inspired actions that would carry you to your goal have dissipated, the desperate and motivated actions that you will have to force to work are taking over and it is all because you took score too soon.
So rather than trusting outside forces to tell you how you are doing, try trusting yourself. Try trusting your own inspirations and having the faith and knowing that what you are doing will bring you the results you are looking for. The many measurements and benchmarks that are available, like the scales, the tape measures, the calipers, the stat-counters, the people counters, the grading systems, (et al and on to infinity!) really do not have all the answers. You do.
This post is included in the
Carnival of Truth #9
from October 2, 2007, located at
be Conscious now
Popularity: 4% [?]
Topics: Living the Power, Deliberate Creation |
August 9th, 2007 at 11:09 am
Another great post! It’s so true that our over anxious need to control things can kill the very thing we’re working for!
Hugs,
Holly
August 9th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Thanks Holly!
August 10th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
I’m way behind on my blog reading, came here and found your pretty new HOME!! Karen, it’s absolutely LOVELY!!!
You are a sweet inspiration to so many. Thanks for keeping this garden tended.
Blessings!!
August 10th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Thanks Pamm!
I have to get used to it! I guess I needed a little “bling” and now I have it! That picture in the corner tends to unnerve me though!
August 11th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
This was scary timely for me. Gotta love the LoA lol
August 11th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I know that sometimes that happens for me and it feels a little freaky because it can be so amazing!
Thanks for the comment!
Have a joyful day!
October 1st, 2007 at 9:48 pm
[…] Having just planted my garden, I totally related to this article - Karen Lynch presents Taking Score (Live The Power) posted at LivethePower. […]
October 9th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Beautiful post Karen!
I needed that reminder. In fact, I got it this morning as I walked to work. Last week I went to the doctor for a check up on some meds and she noted that my weight was up. Well, it was after a vacation, but I got deflated nonetheless. Instead of walking on the weekend I stayed in. I took the car into work yesterday. But this morning I said to myself that the walk would just help me to feel better, don’t worry about the weight. Alas, it did.
Those extra 5 lbs will be off in no time and I will be happier and healthier for continuing my new walking regimen.
Thanks for the reminder.
In Spirit,
Nneka
October 9th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Thank you, Nneka!
Don’t even think about the extra pounds, just do the walking and the exercising and the things you know will work and like you said…they’ll be gone in no time!
October 22nd, 2007 at 8:59 am
Karen, what a wonderful insightful article. Thanks for the reminder to trust myself. As an incest survivor, one of the first things once I got into recovery was to learn to trust myself. Until you love and trust yourself, you can’t really love or trust anyone else. Have a glorious day.
October 22nd, 2007 at 9:45 am
Hey Patricia,
You know, I have learned that other people can lead me astray but if I follow my own intuitions and my own Inner Being, I am always on the right path.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Thanks for the reminder, Karen… I wonder how many potential gardens I’ve dug up in my life, just because the flowers weren’t growing fast enough.
I guess it really doesn’t matter how many happened in the past, since it’s the seeds I’ve got planted right now that matter.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Life is good… it’s not a should be. Thanks for the
June 19th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
It’s a great article in fact…thank you for giving us this link again.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Lyman,
I’ve dug up a few gardens myself…I think it must be human nature….I’ve even been peeking a little too much at the planted seeds I have going right now (and I should know better!)
Cribcat,
Yes, Life is very, very good but some don’t see that clearly yet…”supposed to be good” softens resistance.
Thank you, Night. I appreciate you telling me more than I can even express.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:29 am
Really wonderful post.
Its the ultimate truth.
You explained very nicely.
Thanks a lot.