Be scared! Keep your children away!
Eggplants, onions and tomatos can kill!
We know that eggplants, onions and pears
are part of many people’s meals. These foods, as well as avocados, potatoes and walnuts are on plants which are poisonous.
Every part of the onion plant except the
onion itself is toxic. Avocado
pips, the bark, the leaves and stems are toxic. The outer green hulls of walnuts are poisonous. Tomato plant leaves and stems are
poisonous. Even the
potato plant produces a poison in its leaves, eyes and sprouts which can be
fatal to humans. There is a long
list of plants, herbs and even flowers like the beautiful frangipani which are
either toxic or poisonous. Isn't it a wonder we include these in our diet, in our lives.
And yet we do include these foods in our lives. These foods among others are
included into our daily and regular diets. We make marvelous meals, create amazing dishes and even
promote the versatility of ingredients on cooking shows and across
cultures. We include the colours
or perfumes of flowers in our lives too.
We have learnt so much about the benefits, the goodness and the value of
these things that many people are not aware of the poison of the plant. Another thing is for sure, we are not scared of a tomato or avocado plant nor do we keep our children or families away from them.
So let us take a moment. Change the focus!
What issue do you have in your life which could do with a re-frame? Learning how to cook with the fruit of something doesn’t mean you’ve ignored the plant. Learning more about the value and goodness of something will help you get a lot further than simply studying up on the poison.
The internet certainly has its toxins and its poisons. We can all list the negative impacts and problems of this amenity. How much fear and focus do you place on these problems? What if we spent our time learning and educating more about the wonders of this fruit. Social media and the healthy delight it can be, rather than the curse.
Divorce and split families, again there is no stepping away from the sadness of loss and the harm which can happen when people change their relationships. However, there are many amazing benefits to people gaining strength in themselves and learning how to represent themselves in close relationships. Focusing on the fruit doesn't mean ignoring the thorns, but split homes and divorce have provided incredible platform for independence.
Let us take a moment to consider the topics which are scaring you. Did you hear about a problem in the news which needs your concern? Have you been given a serious memo from your children's principal? Is there a topic which keeps getting you stressed at work?
I suggest that we could learn a bit from
our attitude to food. Transfer our
existing focus on the fruit not the poison.
We have become a society focused on the
poisons and toxins of the new. We
have become a people choreographed into tiptoeing in fear rather than dancing
and delighting in joy.
I may
not personally be able to change the information presented to me, however I can
certainly choose what I focus on, learn more about and how to cook with it.
What would your life look like if you avoided or removed contact with toxic or poisonous flowers or plants?
Why not put your energy into learning about
the benefits, the goodness and the value of the matters in your life. How would it be to be aware not scared?
We don't need to avoid or remove the problems for the generations to come - why don't we simply keep exploring what we will work with, how we cook and show our children how to focus on the fruit.
