The little grey cells of a super sleuth

"One must seek the truth within--not without."
~Hercule Poirot

I don't know about you, but I am tickled by a good mystery.  Frumpy unassuming Columbo and Agatha Christie's meticulous egg-headed Poirot are among my favorite detectives.  To me, what makes for a great detective is attention to detail, and the patient determination to stick with the case until every last clue, no matter how trivial or minute, has been exposed and extrapolated.

Imagine the solutions we could discover in our own lives were we to apply some basic sleuthing skills to the issues and problems that perplex and vex us.  We must be vigilant if we hope to ferret out the needling but sometimes difficult to detect things that would dam up the free-flowing living we seek.

Having a moment of clarity or an epiphany is an elating feeling to be sure.  But once the truth has been discovered, a good detective does not just leave things there.  He makes sure his culprit is apprehended and brought to justice.  We must do the same.  It is not enough to just uncover hidden issues or unproductive ways of thinking that plague us.  They must not be allowed to run around our thought willy nilly.  They must be manacled and dealt with.  In essence, unhealthy thoughts or habits must not only be detected, they must also be rejected.

Then, we may settle in with a cup of comforting tea, knowing justice has been served and that another malefactor has been dispatched and will not be able to wreak any more havoc in our lives. 

When it's good to be bamboozled

Do you know much about bamboo?
This quietly towering grass provides a wonderful metaphor for personal growth. Its adage reads:

The first year it sleeps 

The second year it creeps 

The third year it leaps

This leaping has been reported to reach 47" of growth in a single 24 hour period.  But as the adage reminds us, the bamboo's take-off did not come overnight.


What an encouraging thought to hold on to when we feel we are putting in effort without seeing much in the way of results.  I went through a time of intense personal difficulty of several years duration.  I called it 'my 4 years of tears'.  It was so difficult and so unyielding that I often despaired of ever feeling happy or even sane again. Then.... seemingly out of nowhere.... and without my even realizing it.... it all went away, and I was healed... permanently.


I was so grateful to know that all the toil and struggle had indeed yielded fruit, in abundance. And that harrowing experience has become a confidence-building victory that has enabled me to more easily meet and vanquish subsequent ugly challenges.


Have you had a bamboo experience of your own?  I'd love to hear about it.


joyfully yours...