My sister just posted this picture of fresh limes from her kitchen. Nothing special here, you might think — but wait. She picked them in her backyard. After living her entire life in New England, she and her husband just moved to Florida where they’re immersing themselves in their new climate and culture. I can tell from her Facebook posts that she’s having fun figuring out what’s great about this new world of theirs.
There’s magic in looking at your surroundings with curiosity and appreciation. It’s so easy to take what we have for granted and forget that there are things all around us that were once new and exciting. I wonder how many people live in my sister’s neighbourhood without ever seeing the limes.
Do you have invisible limes in your backyard?
i still remember my delight when i moved into my first house in paraguay. the garden was not huge but big enough to surprise me the first visits. especially those big round balls on that skinny tree. what WERE they? it took me a while to figure out they were papayas
more recently, i just realized there’s a japanese maple hidden in my garden in the new house!
now of course i wonder what skills that i might have in my career garden that i haven’t been able to name yet …
Hi Isabella — Paraguay… That’s sounds really interesting. How did you happen to land there?
I love it that you worked a in question about hidden skills. My business is recruiting. I can tell you that almost everyone has skills that they don’t give themselves credit for. That’s why we tell employers that judging applicants based on their resume is a poor practice.
Susan
Isn’t it great! There are so many things to appreciate if we just take the time to look and listen.
Hi Carrie,
You’re so right! I like the way you put it… “take the time to look and listen.” The rewards come when we intentionally look for the good things all around us.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Susan
Yes! My new fascination is with the hummingbirds that visit my hibiscus. Mesmerizing!
Hi Jamie — That sounds beautiful. What a great way to bring appreciation into your day.