{"id":7011,"date":"2016-08-26T07:10:27","date_gmt":"2016-08-26T13:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/?p=7011"},"modified":"2016-09-01T06:08:09","modified_gmt":"2016-09-01T12:08:09","slug":"the-low-hanging-fruit-you-cant-afford-to-miss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/2016\/08\/26\/the-low-hanging-fruit-you-cant-afford-to-miss\/","title":{"rendered":"The Low-Hanging Fruit You Can\u2019t Afford to Miss"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/a> \"DSC_0624\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cGonna walk this road
\n<\/em>See where it leads
\n<\/em>Gonna bless the flowers
\n<\/em>Gonna bless the weeds
\n<\/em>Gonna stay together
\n<\/em>Nothing's gonna pull us apart
\n<\/em>Gonna walk this road and mend each others hearts<\/em>.\u201d
\n<\/em>\u2013Eric Bibb <\/em><\/p>\n

*names have been changed<\/p>\n

Even if his checkout line is a little longer, I always choose this particular bagger\u2019s lane. This conscientious young man reminds me of a former special education student who brightened my first year of teaching. If I needed to move a chair, *Dan was there, refusing to let me lift a finger. If I was about to open a window, Dan was quick to say, \u201cLet me do that for you, Miss Macy.\u201d If he heard I was having car troubles, he\u2019d offer to take a look during his lunch hour. Amazingly, Dan offered the same kindness to all his teachers and fellow classmates. Dan struggled with academics, but in altruism, he excelled.<\/p>\n

This particular bagger resembles Dan in looks, but especially in mannerisms. The first time he bagged my groceries, I could see he was cut from the same cloth as my former student \u2013 he was a helper too.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello,\u201d said the young man as I pulled up my cart.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you today?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing pretty good,\u201d he said with a slight slur and a big smile.<\/p>\n

As the man carefully bagged my items, he leaned against the end of the checkout stand to support his uneven posture.<\/p>\n

We chatted about the heat and the cat treats I\u2019d purchased as he filled my cart filled with bags. When he got to the two last bags, I watched curiously as he gently hung them in an unsuspecting place. A few inches below the cart handle were two tiny metal rungs just big enough to hold a\u00a0bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow! That\u2019s a clever idea. I\u2019ve never seen anyone do that before,\u201d I commended.<\/p>\n

My 13-year-old daughter\u2019s head quickly turned from the row of celebrity magazines to see what all the fuss was about. Her face showed equal surprise. \u201cThat is<\/em> a good idea!\u201d she complimented the man.<\/p>\n

The customer behind us peered around his loaded cart and nodded. \u201cHmmmm \u2026 that\u2019s new to me,\u201d he agreed.<\/p>\n

Even the unsmiling cashier stopped ringing up items to look up. \u201cThat *Steve,\u201d she said flatly, \u201cHe comes up with some good ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s when I turned and looked at Steve.<\/p>\n

It was his moment \u2026 and he was shining in his moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I borrow your idea sometime?\u201d I asked the beaming young man.<\/p>\n

Steve nodded enthusiastically, \u201cSure. Just be sure to get the bag right on the hook\u2014and nothing too heavy,\u201d he advised.<\/p>\n

As my daughter and I pushed our cart away, I glanced back at Steve. He was still shining. He was still feeling his moment. Please never let me be too hurried, too distracted, or too impatient not to notice these things<\/em>, I prayed in my head. I decided the best reminder would be a picture; I could make it my screensaver.<\/p>\n

When I got to my car, I snapped this photo. Suddenly, three words came to mind: low-hanging fruit.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

In the business world, the term typically means a quick fix that produces ripe, delectable results or a target that\u2019s easy to achieve.<\/p>\n

Yet, there is low-hanging fruit in everyday life too.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It's in welcoming faces, accepting voices, and loving touches.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in quiet acts of generosity that seek no recognition.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in heartfelt conversations, sustained eye contact, and lingering hugs.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in the sky and the clouds and the birds and the wind.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in the songs on the radio; it\u2019s in our loved one\u2019s laughter.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in handwritten notes and handpicked flowers.<\/p>\n

It's in the words, \u201cHave a nice day,\u201d as you leave the building.<\/p>\n

When you notice and acknowledge the low-hanging fruits of everyday life, gratitude washes over you and has the potential to spread to those around you, creating positive results.<\/p>\n

But when you neglect to see the low-hanging fruit \u2013 perhaps due to hurry, impatience, over-commitment, need for control, perfection, distraction, exhaustion, or stress \u2013 you\u2019re more likely to focus on what is wrong. This focus often results in complaining, criticizing, self-absorption, hostility, and despair, which also have an impact on those around you, but it is negative rather than positive.<\/p>\n

But awareness is a game-changer.<\/p>\n

Awareness is a life-changer.<\/p>\n

Once your eyes have noticed ripe fruits, you can\u2019t help but look for more.<\/p>\n

Since spying those bags and witnessing Steve\u2019s reaction, I\u2019ve been on a mission to look for the low-hanging fruit in everyday life. Educator and poet Glenis Redmond<\/a> has name for this life-changing practice. She calls it \u201ccataloging beauty.\u201d Let her powerful, poetic truths soak in for a moment:<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not against critique, but the world's need to nick pic everything is a dis-ease. What I crave is holiness. We are so far away from the heart, when only the head leads with only what is wrong. How about the million beauties you walked by today and did not see? Name them. The world needs\/ I need your catalog of beauty. What is your catalog of beauty?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you, Glenis. I have begun my catalog of beauty:<\/p>\n

I found it in the handwriting of my 6-year-old nephew\u2019s thank you card.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

I found it in my father\u2019s birthday candles–seventy-seven years blessed–and the cherry pie my husband made for him.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

I found it in a flour-dusted counter top with apron-clad girls being supervised by a kitten in a fruit basket.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

I found it in a colorful butterfly that followed me on my walk.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

I found it in a new friendship, clearly orchestrated by something far greater\u00a0than either of us.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_6485\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I found it in two rescue cats, one big, one little, that decorate our windowsills.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

I found in the voice of my daughter while being accompanied by her three best friends.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

In just a few days, this eye-opening practice has confirmed exactly how I want to live my life. I refuse to waste any more precious time cataloging my gripes and grievances. Instead, I want to catalog what is good and holy and helpful and\u00a0true.<\/p>\n

Because the truth is this:<\/p>\n

The country needs
\nThe community needs
\nThe man who bags my groceries needs
\nMy family needs
\nI need
\nmy catalog of beauty.<\/p>\n

And I know exactly where to find it.<\/p>\n

Life\u2019s divine beauties are right under my nose, ripe and ready, just waiting to be noticed.<\/p>\n

I shall notice. I shall bring attention to them. And I shall watch them shine in their moment.<\/p>\n

It will be mine too.<\/p>\n

******************************************************************<\/p>\n

Dear friends of the Hands Free Revolution<\/a>, what is your catalog of beauty? Where do you find what is good and divine and replenishing? And if you realize you have been focusing too much on negative things, please don't wallow in regret. Today matters more than yesterday<\/a> \u2026 and awareness is everything. May you go through this new day with eyes & heart wide open. It's never too late to begin your catalog of beauty. If you need a visual reminder, the “see flowers not weeds<\/a>” metal cuff is helping many members of our community\u00a0focus on what is good. If have joined me\u00a0on Instagram<\/a>, be sure and tag me<\/a> in your beautiful photos that reveal where you find goodness & beauty.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have missed my prior announcements about my upcoming speaking events, please see my event page<\/a> as some ticket links have come available. I will be\u00a0heading to the Bay Area, Chattanooga<\/a>, Clarksville (TN), and Mandan. After speaking, I will have a chance to meet each of you and sign copies of my books, HANDS FREE MAMA<\/a> and HANDS FREE LIFE. <\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you for walking beside me. This\u00a0incredible community represents a\u00a0major section\u00a0of my catalog of beauty. I cherish you.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cGonna walk this road See where it leads Gonna bless the flowers Gonna bless the weeds Gonna stay together Nothing’s gonna pull us apart Gonna walk this road and mend each others hearts.\u201d \u2013Eric Bibb *names have been changed Even if his checkout line is a little longer, I always choose this particular bagger\u2019s lane. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1679,1224,1173,1517,1678,1494,1144],"gutentor_comment":45,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/DSC_0624-e1472184888217.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1fUJF-1P5","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7011"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}