Oh No!
This morning, with a new plan in effect, I did something I haven't done since my school days... I made breakfast at 7:30 AM. Wow! The goal here is to get my metabolism moving earlier in the day. I also know today will be a long one. So I trot (walk, actually), to my sprout rack and realize there is a lot of green in the jar. To my surprise, the sprouts, in the absence of water, started to grow roots and leaves!
As you can see, where the Mung Seed was, it split and out came leaves! And if you look closely, you can see the beginning of roots forming on the bottom. This was very exciting as I really didn't know when the sprouts would transform its DNA into a plant.
Now I know.
Did that alter my plans to have an early raw food breakfast?
Of course not! In they went into the VitaMix and I added carrots, what's left of my cabbage and broccoli, half a zucchini and voila! Breakfast is served!
PROCESS AND OUTCOME
In my post about Happiness, I talk about the "if-then" dynamic most of us transmogrify into what seems like the most logical and magical of results - but it doesn't.
The whole idea can easily be applied to the adventure of growing these wonderful sprouts. It was my first time. I was nervous. Even a bit doubtful, if you recall. But I persisted and found the process to be incredibly exciting. Sure enough, I was so enamored with the process that a new lesson in life emerged.
Did I expect that new lesson? No. Did I have any expectations? Initially I expected I would grow huge fat sprouts. But the process stole the show. So much so that I forgot about the end result, that is, the "then" part of the equation that has served me so well in school.
You know, the "IF" if study hard and really try to understand, I will "THEN" get a good grade. Looking back to my school days, there were two areas of study, where, like this sprouting adventure, the PROCESS stole the show. I actually forgot about the OUTCOME.
Those two classes were Electronics and Physics. I enjoyed learning these subjects so much that I forgot about getting the good grade. My "IF-THEN" construct was completely lost in these two classes. And what happened? I became an Computer and Network Engineer. Didn't plan it that way. Didn't "EXPECT" it that way, but that's how it happened.
These sprouts made this lesson crystal clear to me.
THE JOY IS IN THE PROCESS
and
THE OUTCOME WILL BE THE OUTCOME
This is an amazing strategy for life. All too often, we apply the "IF-THEN" strategy to our utter downfall.
"IF" I divorce my mate and marry a rich person, "THEN" I will be happy.
"IF" I work 60 hours a week, "THEN" I will get an advancement and be happy.
"IF" I get an 'A' in this class, "THEN" I will be happy.
THIS IS AN ILLUSION
and
IT STEALS YOUR JOY
HAPPINESS IS A BY-PRODUCT
Happiness cannot be chased, cannot be found, cannot by achieved all by itself! Anytime you hear someone say, "I know what will make you happy", they don't know what they are talking about. Anytime you say to yourself, "I just have to find happiness", you just might be undermining your goal.
Just like a side effect one may experience from a drug, Happiness is and never will be anything more than a side-effect of something else. A by-product.
So what is happiness a by-product of?
Do you remember the "IF-THEN" logic? The reality is, we can only control the "IF" part of that construct. "IF" you drive to the market... "THEN" you really don't know what will happen. You actually NEVER know the "THEN" of anything.
You can only know the "IF". You can only control the "IF". And even the "IF" part doesn't have a 100% success rate. You may get a flat tire and never make it to the market.
Life is in the "IF", that is, the PROCESS and not the OUTCOME. The process is the doing. The process is where life is. The process is the "NOW" you and I live in every day.
THE PROCESS
When we do things, regardless of the outcome, the doing is where we actually live, learn, grow and connect. And therefore, this is where we can find JOY. Joy is in the doing. Joy is in the learning. Joy is in the growing. Joy is in the connecting. Joy is in the living.
Joy is in the process and not the outcome.
This is a very illuminating truth that has been under our noses all of our life. Have you ever seen a child jumping on a trampoline? Are they thinking about the complete muscle development that is taking place? Are they thinking about the spatial lessons they are learning? Are they saying to themselves as they approach the trampoline, "IF I jump on this trampoline for 30 minutes, my spatial awareness, physical coordination and muscle toning will be improved by 6%"?
Of course not. They just jump and laugh and jump and, in their words, "have fun". And when they finish and are out of breath, they usually say, "That was fun".
PURSUE THE PROCESS
Life and Joy are in the Process. If you enjoy something, it is because you are in the process. The outcome is the by-product of this JOY.
And that by-product is always HAPPINESS.
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