I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact on our awareness.

My wife， my daughter and I moved into our home nine years ago and we spent a lot of time and energy in the yard to get it looking like it does today. We live on a corner， higher than street level， and the entire side of the yard is encased by a professionally built rock wall. The front of the house though is another story because instead of a wall along the sidewalk， the rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry to finish.

We did the best we could with what we had to work with and called this area our “rock garden”. Whenever we had leftover flowers or plants， Denise or I would stick them out front， just to bring some color to the area.

I still do all of my own yard work， even the dreaded weed-pulling. After putting on my kneepads， I assume the position to clear the yard of weeds， even in the rock garden.

Last summer， I had reached the end of the rock garden and found a tiny little plant that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didnt plant it and Denise claimed that she didnt either. We decided to let it continue growing until we could figure out what it was.

Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the mystery plant， it appeared to be a sunflower. It was spindly looking with a tall skinny stalk and only one head on it. I decided to baby it along and weed around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds， I noticed something unusual. The sunflower had not started where I saw the stalk begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun.

Thats when I realized that if a tiny little sunflower didnt let a big rock stand in its way of developing， we too have the capability of doing the same thing. Once our environment begins to see that we believe in ourselves like that little sunflower， we can attain the same nourishment and nurturing as well.

First， we need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the capabilities in achieving our desires. Like the sunflower， it knew it had the capability to overcome its obstacle because it trusted in the universal truth and had faith it would succeed.

Stand tall like the sunflower and be proud of who and what you are and the environment will begin to support you. You will find a way to go under or around your big obstacle in order to reach your desires.

我發现生活有时挺诙谐的，即使是最平凡的事情也能影响我们的认知。

我和我妻子、女儿在九年前搬进了我们住的家，而且我们付出了很多的时间和精力使得我们的院子看上去像现在这个样子。我们一家住在一个比街道的水平面高一些的角落里，院子的周围被堆砌得很专业的石墙包围着。然而房子的前面是却是另一副样子，因为沿着人行道这些石块似乎被匆忙建造在泥地上而不是砌成一面墙，就像是有人匆匆忙忙草率完成的。

我们尽我们最大的努力去做我们必须做的事，而且我们把这个地方叫作“石头花园”。每当我们有多余的花或者树时，我或者德妮丝就会把它们移到房前，给这个地方带来一些色彩。

我仍然做我自家院子的所有劳动，甚至是令人畏惧的拔草。穿上护膝后，我就承担起清除院子里的杂草，甚至是石头花园里的杂草的任务。

就在那时我意识到，如果一株小小的向日葵都没有让一块大石头挡住它成长的路，那么我们同样有能力做同样的事情。一旦我们生活的环境开始看到，我们像那株小小的向日葵一样相信自己，我们就能得到同样的养分并且成长起来。

首先， 我们需要相信自己， 认识到我们有能力实现我们的愿望。就像那株向日葵一样， 它知道它有能力去克服障碍，因为它相信普遍真理，并且相信它会成功。

只要你像向日葵一样高高站立，为自己感到自豪，环境就会开始支持你。为了实现愿望，你会在障碍下方或其周围找到一条出路。

去年夏天，我走到石头花园的尽头，发现一株我不能马上辨认出的细小植物。我知道我没有种植它，德妮丝也说她没有种过。于是我们决定让它继续生长，直到我们能弄清它到底是什么植物。

几个星期之后，我回到那株神秘植物前，它看上去好像是一株向日葵。它有着细长的外形，高而瘦削的茎梗，之上只有一个头。我决定呵护它并且给它除草。当我把这个地方的石头挪开以便除草时，我发现了异乎寻常的事情。这株向日葵并不是从我看到的茎梗处开始生长，而实际上是从一块大石头下开始，从下面并绕过石头生长而伸向太阳。