Nearly everyone has a story about a friend, sibling or themselves wedging something in an ear or nostril as a kid. That story usually ends with the object having to be removed by a doctor. Pennies, legos, stones, beads and other small objects seem to be magnetically pulled into small dark places and eventually reach a point of no return. That is until a professional is called upon to excavate.
Today my contractor handed me the displaced links left behind as I asked him to raise my chandelier a few inches. As we continued to speak, I played with the links slipping one on my finger to quickly realize it would not slide off as easily. We had a good laugh at the panic that ensued and then we shared other similar stories that came to mind. He shared how he got spanked as a child for putting a metal nut on his 1-year-old brother’s finger as a ring–which then swelled so badly that the nut had to be cut off. This story led to the story of how his sister stuck a lentil up her nose and no one knew it was there…. until it started to grow.
Yes those nasal passages are dark, but they are moist too …and apparently moisture trumps darkness on the “must-have” list for plant growth. She actually germinated that little bugger and got it to grow roots IN HER NOSE! That stealthy tenacious lentil–with NO ATTENTION– no direct sunlight and no pretty pot, GREW.
Maybe we are growing stuff in our nose too. Something out of sight– perhaps put in place during a brief irresponsible moment in the past and left to germinate? Or maybe there is an old emotional hurt not healed, or a bad choice not forgiven? Maybe there is a part of us we keep in a dark place–a place we don’t look at often– either because it is not easy to look there (like in a nose) or it is socially shocking to look there (like a nose). I use this analogy playfully here, but the pain of loss, abuse, and shame are not fun and not a game. These are usually kept hidden and they will germinate– often growing and crowding out what should hold that space in your life. It takes Courage to look at those things.
So today, let’s all check our noses for lentils.
All the best!
Rena M. Reese
Founder, Soul Salon International
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rena M. Reese is the founder of Soul Salon International, the author of several inspirational titles, a life coach and speaker. She is an instructor and coach at The Mindfulness Center in Bethesda, Md and the host of a weekly radio program, The Soul Salon. She is a featured expert at Success Television and a contributing writer for Affluent Magazine.