Mind Blown

For twenty plus years, I’ve been doing yard work the same way. And those hot and humid Florida summertime days have made for some choice words beneath my breath along the way. Some of those comments originate from the adverse weather conditions, but others came about due to the equipment being used in the process.

Recently, we cleaned up our garage and attempted to become more organized, in both a physical and mental capacity. Examples of both include wrapping 100-foot extensions cords around holders for cleaner storage and changing my mindset when braving the ridiculous atmospheric summer conditions that are unavoidable in this part of the country.

Enter the malfunctioning leaf blower that has had its nozzle duct taped to the machine for the past decade. In the spirit of adopting a new mindset, I committed to making a new purchase, starting fresh, deciding on a battery-powered unit. I learned all about CFM rating (how many cubic feet of material is moved per minute). Bringing home my new toy with intense anticipation, the rating on my newly purchased unit was nearly triple that of my old one.

I plugged in the battery and flipped the switch, almost expecting a recoil effect from the impressive power. I was less than overwhelmed. It was serviceable and fully functional. I just wasn’t blown away (no pun intended) by the increased operating capacity.

As I moved around the yard, though, that’s when things changed. Ducking beneath trees to clear out beds. Moving between the front and back yards. And then there was the unknown turbo mode that did provide a burst of extra power. It’s what wasn’t there that made the biggest impact. A cord.

I was not tethered to the nearest electrical outlet. I didn’t have to unplug and reconnect several times in order to get where I needed to go. Nor did I need to maneuver said cord around objects to keep it from tangling.

And that’s when two things dawned on me. First, it’s easy to become tethered to our old ways of thinking, just like I had done with my approach to yard work. And second, it’s the things we don’t expect to have the greatest impact on our lives that actually do.

I almost look forward to the prospects of cutting the yard moving forward, even if the temperature and humidity levels both creep closer to triple digits. Mindset shifted in one

small part of my life positively impacted my enjoyment of many others. Leaves blown, mind too.

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