Grasshoppers

 

Lately, I’ve felt like I’m in an episode of Exodus. You know the one with the grasshopper, okay technically locusts, but it’s pretty darn close. 

In the three years that we have owned this property we’ve always had grasshoppers, but nothing like this year. I’m wondering if the excessive rain this spring was the culprit. The word “biblical” definitely applies here. 

When I think back to one of the first times I traveled to Stephenville to visit my future son-in-law, I can’t help but chuckle to my reaction to grasshoppers. I was so afraid that I refused to get out of the car and walk across the yard to check out some baby goats. 

Today I walk fearlessly as hundreds of grasshoppers fly like a fountain away from me with each step I take. They are everywhere, and occasionally one might actually land on you. However, now I merely brush it off and keep on walking. 

The other day it looked like a grasshopper convention as they all hung out under the shade of our carport. Apparently, even an insect knows to seek shade to beat the heat. Between this extreme heat and the influx of insects life on the ranch in the summer is now becoming my least favorite time of year. 

As I write this sitting inside my air conditioned house looking out the front window at the beautiful view, I’m resigned to the fact that I’ll have to wait a few more months to enjoy my front porch again. In addition to the grasshoppers the blister beetles have decided to make an appearance this year. Sweeping them off the front porch has become a regular occurrence now. 

As much as I am enjoying country life it can be a little challenging to a city girl. Mother Nature generally wins.

A Bird in the Hand

 

I remember as a child hearing the adage, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” I also remember not quite understanding what it meant even after my mother tried to explain it to me. 

Its definition according to Oxford Languages is “It’s better to be content with what you have than to risk losing everything by seeking more.”

Now at first glance this does make perfect sense. In the letting go of the bird in the hand, in an effort to catch the two in the bush, you might just end up empty handed. 

However, on the flip side, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” might hold true here as well. What is actually the worse outcome of the lost bird? Perhaps a day without a meal, which although uncomfortable may not be the end of the world. 

Dr.Phil teaches to ask, “What is the worst thing that could happen here?” He then says to actually answer that question, and follow it to its logical conclusions. Most of the time the worst case scenario is not something that can’t be overcome. 

Learning how much risk you can tolerate, or better yet pushing yourself to accept more risk, in the long run, might actually be the better path. Holding on to what you know to be a sure thing may actually not be the best course to follow. Not letting go can be very limiting, although it’s safety might be tempting. 

I think this lesson has a lot to do with discernment which does seem to come more with age and experience. Perhaps allowing our children to make different choices with different results can help them to hone whether to hold on tightly to that bird in the hand, or to let it go, and attempt to catch the two in the bush. 

Of course knowing “when to hold them, and when to fold them,” becomes the real key. 

Do One Thing Different

 

Have you ever considered changing something in your life?  Bill O’Hanlon has written a manual on how to do exactly that in his book entitled The Change Your Life Book.

O’Hanlon’s premise is that making changes can be a difficult thing, but even a small change can be impactful in changing the course of your life. 

He begins with three ways to make changes:

Change the Doing

Change the Viewing

Change the Setting

Under each category he gives a list of tips to encourage you to make the changes you have been wanting to make. 

I’ve included a few to get you started if you are considering a change.

Change the Doing

Sometimes we actually need to “Stop doing something.” Instead of changing what we do, or starting something new we might need to consider just stopping what we have been doing. O’Hanlon asks, “What do you need to stop doing to find more time or change the quality of your life?”

For me what comes immediately to mind is to stop watching mindless tv shows. If I’m going to watch tv at all I’d rather they be of some value or substance even when strictly looking for entertainment. How many times have I wasted time scrolling through You Tube videos looking for that “just right” video?

Another idea is to “Stretch your brain.” Identity something you are interested in or are wanting to learn. Research shows that allowing the brain the opportunity to learn something novel or even hard helps prevent mental decline. O’Hanlon states when it comes to stretching your brain that you should, “Spend time regularly pushing yourself to engage in the learning process.”

Change the Viewing

O’Hanlon’s advice for accomplishing this is to “Change perspectives.” One fun way to do this is to ask yourself how someone else might solve a problem. Get creative here and consider how your favorite superhero, author, family member or your future self might tackle a situation you are having a problem solving.  “Sometimes we get stuck with one view of the situation, which doesn’t help us resolve it, get through it, or feel very good about it,” states O’Hanlon. 

Challenge yourself to “Ask different questions or notice something differently.” Again if we get stuck asking the same questions or not looking for a different point of view we might not be able to make any progress in solving our dilemma. One question to consider might be, “Is this where I want to put my energy or attention?”

Change the Setting

Actually “Changing the location” might be the key to resolution. Many years ago I made a decision to move to another apartment complex to kick start some changes in my life. I knew instinctively that if I stayed nothing would change, and I would be left with nothing but regrets. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. 

Finally “Change the timing” might be just what you need to push yourself forward. This can be done quite literally by setting a timer for the exact amount of time to dwell on a problem. After that time period move on, and come back to it again for the same amount of time the next day. Our minds can begin to ruminate in a destructive way if we allow them to. 

If you know you are needing to change either your  actions, or your circumstances hopefully one of these ideas will resonate with you as a possible first step toward change.