Reflections: A Grasshopper's Leap

I spend a lot of time on my patio. I like to read out there in the morning with my tea, I like to join my husband for his evening drink, and sometimes I like to just sit there and observe what is around me.

I have many times discovered new bugs, lizards, plants, bird's nest, and more when I sit and observe. Sometimes I even fancy that the spider I asked to get off my chair is actually listening to me when he moves.

On July 3rd, I had a visit from a very uncertain grasshopper. First, he was sitting on top of the back of my chair. I gave him some space, and when I came back outside to check, he had traveled down the back of the chair. I decided this allowed for the chair to be shared sufficiently and after giving the grasshopper a little warning, I went ahead and sat down.

Next thing you know, the grasshopper is making his way along the arm of my outdoor chair. As this is where I rest my arm while I read, I shared aloud "Hello there, why don't you hop over and sit on top of Richard Parker (my tiger statue inspired by Life of Pi)?" while tapping the top of the tiger's head.

Soul Siblings, this little grasshopper seemed to listen. As he made his way down the arm of the chair, he kept gauging his jump to RP. When he was comfortable, he lept to the tiger's neck and then traveled to almost the exact spot I indicated.

I starred at my new friend in amazement. He seemed fairly taken with me as well.

I noticed that when he wasn't looking at me, he seemed to be surveying his next move. Several times he would wiggle left and right trying to gauge just the right jump. He would then move a little and repeat the process. After watching him for a moment, I asked "Buddy, why are you so nervous to do something which is in your innate ability? You are literally built for this."

The phase I had just shared with the grasshopper caught my attention. "nervous to do something which is in your innate ability" - how often in life do we miss out on opportunities and leaps of faith because we allow fear and self-doubt to take the reigns? We are capable of literally just about anything we put our minds to, however, we allow unhelpful thought forms, stories that people have told us about ourselves, and old habits to dictate and define what opportunities and risks we pursue.

I chuckled to myself. Isn't it wonderful how signs and opportunities for growth surround us on a daily basis if we just take a moment to stop, breathe, observe, and listen? I was curious why I had such a unique interaction with this grasshopper and through a bit of research found out something quite interesting about my new friend. Grasshoppers can't jump backward. In fact, they can't jump side to side either. Grasshoppers are designed in such a way that they can only leap forward.

Did our grasshopper messenger ever make the jump from Richard Parker's head? Friends, he made a leap like you wouldn't believe, a clear 2ft across the patio! Afterward, he turned back to look at me like "I did it!" Yeah, you did little buddy. Yeah you did.

Today, I ask that you consider the idea of leaping forward with the understanding that you were built for such leaps. If there is a project you have been considering; if there is a task you have been postponing; if there is a creative expression you have been dancing around - my darlings - get out there and get at it. You were built for this!