Appreciating the Beauty in Different Types of Flowers (6-18-25)

This will be the last in the series inspired by my wife’s garden. We are going wrap everything up with a final reflection on appreciating the beauty in different types of flowers.

Here are some more close up shots of some of the flowers that my wife is growing in her garden or in a nearby pot. Each of these flowers are beautiful, and all of them are beautiful for different reasons. There are some I love because of their bright colors. There are some I love because of the patterns on their petals. I like marigolds, because they look like a lion that is blooming. Every flower possesses beauty because of its own unique traits. I wouldn’t ever want the space petunias to be just like the marigolds, because that would rob me of a chance to see something uniquely wonderful.

Let’s make some connections. Like the flowers, we are all different. Like the flowers, we are all beautiful humans. Maybe, we are beautiful for our bright and bold energy. Maybe, we are beautiful for soft and thoughtful demeanor. Maybe, we are beautiful because of the unique patterns on our petals that tell a story. Whatever it is, I hope you are proud of the things that make you beautiful.

The challenge: Will you celebrate the beauty within yourself?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Strawberries, Flowers, and Appreciating Beauty (6-11-25)

Last week was about gardening, intentional collaboration, and decision rights. This week is about strawberries, flowers, and appreciating beauty.

The other day my wife said, “Whoa! You need to check this out!” Her first strawberry had emerged, and it looked incredible. On the flower side, Cam helped choose which flowers would fill the garden and the surrounding pots. He chose certain flowers he calls “space petunias” because of how awesome they look. I would not have appreciated the beauty of these moments and these plants, if it hadn’t been for the nudges from my wife and Cam. My life is better, because I’ve taken the time to see such things.

Let’s make some connections. When is the last time you paused to appreciate the beauty of something? Maybe it’s a flower. Maybe, it’s a sunrise. Maybe it’s the way a cat curls up for a nap. Maybe it’s a moment of peace as you sit on your back patio. Maybe it’s the laughter from you and a friend. Maybe it’s a guitar solo from a song. Seriously, when is the last time you paused and took in the beauty of something? Chances are it wasn’t recent enough.

The challenge: Will you pause to see the beauty around you?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

A Finished Garden and What it Took to Get There (5-21-25)

This week we are going to start a series inspired by some work we’ve done around the house. We will start by reflecting on a finished garden and what it took to get there.

The picture on the right is how our garden in the backyard looks. My wife did all of this. Isn’t she awesome? There are walking paths, mosaic stones, flores, a rainbow fence, and other vegetables. Hanging out on my back patio and looking at this makes me so happy.

Here’s the thing though. It didn’t start out looking like that. Now look at the other picture. It started with just a bunch of dirt. To get it to where it is now my wife had to put in a lot of work. She sketched out designs for the garden, purchased the materials, and pulled it all together. It took weeks of working to get to the end result.

Let’s connect dots. Every day we see images of the final beautiful product. It’s easy to become obsessed with this finished product and to lose perspective on everything it took to get there. That success didn’t happen overnight. It was months and years of hard work.

The challenge: How can we appreciate the beauty AND the work it took to get there?

Bonus thought- We can be beautiful AND be works in progress at the same time. Life is just a series of transitions. Much like the plants in my wife’s garden, sometimes we are blooming and sometimes we are growing and working our way through the dirt.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Chili and the Beauty and Power of Simple Things (10-26-22)

This week is about chili and the power and beauty of the simple things.

Imagine for a moment. It’s a cold crisp day. You can see your breath when you’re outside. You’ve been out running errands and you come home. You still have a little bit of a chill in your bones. When you get inside you smell it. A nice pot of chili is cooking on the stove. You scoop yourself out a bowl, add a little cheese and crackers, and you eat. That scene would describe a perfect fall day for me. It’s hard to beat a good bowl of chili on a cold day. There isn’t anything fancy about chili. It’s only a few key ingredients. The power is in the simplicity. A few ingredients, a hot bowl on a cold day, and it’s perfection.

How does this connect with anything? We live in a world where so much is at our fingertips. We live in a world where it is easy to have more and more and more. It’s easy to get lost going after the next thing with all the newest features. There’s nothing wrong with new things, but sometimes all of this causes us to get lost in a world of complexity. Sometimes, what we really need are the simple things. There is power and beauty in a short walk outside. There is something magical about a sitting around a bonfire or a table and sharing stories with friends and family. There aren’t too many things better than curling up and reading a book or magazine. Some of my best memories were formed playing simple card games. There is hidden beauty locked inside the world of simple things.

The challenge: Will you stop to appreciate the simple things?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Accomplishment, Flowers, and Appreciating Beauty (5-25-22)

Last week was about garage door motors and designing customer solutions. This week is about accomplishment, flowers, and appreciating beauty.

We have lived in our house for about 10 years. During that time, my wife has spent a significant amount of time and energy planting trees, bushes, and flowers. None of these things necessarily accomplish anything. The flowers don’t provide food. The flowers don’t open garage doors. The flowers are not essential to our house. At the same time, they are valuable. They give us a chance to experience beauty and peace, and that’s worth something. (Pic is from my son planting the flowers to spell “Yay”. Totally not necessary. Totally bring me joy.)

What does this have to do with anything? In a world that is so focused on achievement, it’s easy to get obsessed with only doing things if they accomplish something vs. enjoying something for what it is. We walk, because we need to get in our steps. We read, but mainly read books to help us be better employees. We do things at work, but only because they check boxes so we can move to the next rung of the ladder. I get stuck in these ruts. Do you?

The flowers at my house remind me that sometimes life is just about doing things that help us witness the beauty around us. Life is writing poems, even though those poems are for the sole sake of creating. Life is doing sidewalk chart art because it is cool to make monsters on your driveway. Life is going on a walk just because the weather is nice. Life is reading a book for the joy of being transported to a new world, whether that is a time in history, a magical land, or somewhere beyond. Life is sitting outside on your front porch and just zoning out with friends. When life is crazy busy, the thing that gets me through is pausing to remember that life isn’t always about accomplishment. Sometimes it is about witnessing the everyday wonder hidden in small moments.

The challenge: Will you stop to appreciate the beauty in life?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry