When the sun’s too hot, just picnic under the table!: Thoughts From Red Sunflower Farm

Curious Questions from Observing the Everyday

When the sun’s too hot, just picnic under the table!

I recently hosted my granddaughter for a day at my home, Red Sunflower Farm. An observant and curious girl, she and I adore soaking up afternoons in the dirt, observing insects, and traipsing through the creek.

At lunchtime, we paused from our adventures to refuel. As we saddled up to the patio table, the sun beat down intensely on our backs. It was a scorcher! We debated heading inside, where the air conditioning waited for us. But being the ingenious and outdoorsy little girl that she is, my granddaughter simply picked up her plate and plopped herself in the shade underneath the table.

It may have been sweltering in our usual spot, but with a straightforward move, she solved our problem—and she solved it in a way that I would never have devised on my own.

We spent our lunch giggling over cherry tomatoes, cross-legged on the deck, protected by shade.

Sometimes we get set in our ways without even realizing we’re stuck. Patterns and habits can be our savior, but they can also hinder us when left unchecked.

Our solutions may be simple, but they aren’t necessarily the best approach. If it’s too hot to eat outside, go inside. If it’s too hot to eat outside, find a cooler locale. In hindsight, it seems so obvious, but that’s the tricky thing about shifting our thinking.

My grandbaby’s creative thinking that sunny day on the farm has me curious about problem-solving in other aspects of my life. When else am I heading inside when I’d be better off simply seeking shade?

I’ll leave you with this curious question:

Identify a current problem in your life or business. Then, ask yourself: How can I look at this problem from a new angle to diversify my solutions?