What You Look For You Will Find, Ep. 2

Mama

Well hey y’all, it’s Mama here, and welcome back to Heart-to-Heart with Mama. I gotta tell you, this morning I was out by the chicken coop at sunrise—same as most days. It’s funny, no matter how many times you do something, every morning’s just a little bit different, isn’t it? So I’m lacing up my boots, coffee in hand, ready to take on the world—or at least the world of squawking hens—and it hit me: what you look for, you will find. Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t come up with that quote, but goodness gracious, it’s become a kind of compass for me out here on the farm.

Mama

I mean, out by the coop, there are mornings I’m half-awake just hopin’ my shoes are on the right feet, and if I’m lookin’ for reasons to grumble—sure as sugar, I’ll find ‘em. Chickens knocking over the water, eggs somewhere I can’t reach, maybe even a snake in the nesting box, which, oh Lord, do not get me started on that one. But if I wake up lookin’ for beauty, or maybe a little lesson, or just a reason to smile, it’s there too.

Mama

Now, let me tell y’all, there was one morning—I kid you not—I opened up that coop and thought every last hen had up and disappeared. My heart flat out dropped to my boots. I was lookin’ for disaster, and boy, did I find it. I ran around, hollerin’ like a banshee, mind churning up every worry from coyotes to chicken-napping aliens. Turns out, all those silly hens were huddled in the bushes, fussin’ and cluckin’ away, perfectly fine. Looking back, I realized, I found worry ‘cause that’s what I was searching for—instead of takin’ a breath and trusting it’d work out, like it usually does.

Mama

You know, the way we go through our days—whether it’s on a farm or sittin’ in traffic or just tryin’ to get dinner on the table—it kinda all boils down to what we’re hunting for. Tendin’ the garden or taking care of the goats, I used to see ‘em as another thing on my endless to-do list. But lately, I’ve been trying to find those little bits of good—like the way the tomatoes blush up the first time, or how the goats’ll nuzzle your hand if you’re quiet and still.

Mama

There’s some real science behind this—folks have studied it, and the research says when people actually look for small joys or positives in their day-to-day, they end up feeling better over time. Not just a little bit, either. It’s like, well, aiming your flashlight at the nice parts of life instead of pokin’ it into every dark corner.

Mama

Just the other day, I was out lookin’ for eggs—I swear, those hens make a game of hiding ‘em from me. And wouldn’t you know it, I’m liftin’ up hay and instead of eggs, first thing I find is Myrtle—the sassiest hen I got—tugging on a bit of ribbon from goodness knows where. She was prancing around so proud, the rest chasin’ her and cackling. I set out lookin’ for chores and ended up with a good ol’ belly laugh. Sometimes, the surprises you find are way better than what you thought you needed.

Mama

Now, let’s go a little deeper—probably my favorite spot to apply this idea is with people. Bless our hearts, humans sure are complicated. I found that when I go into a conversation ready for a fight or thinking somebody’ll disappoint me, sure as daylight, that’s what I’ll see. But the minute I start looking for the best in somebody—or at least giving ‘em the benefit of the doubt—my whole experience changes.

Mama

There’s even research on this, y’all—couples who focus on their partner’s strengths, they feel closer and more satisfied. Reminds me of my neighbor, Earl. Oh, Earl could win gold at the Complaints Olympics. Every time I saw him, I braced myself for some grumble about the weather or my goats not minding their fences. One day I thought, you know what? I’m gonna look for something good outta this man. Next time I saw him, instead of cuttin’ him off, I just listened. Wouldn’t you know, he showed up with a basket of tomatoes and a shy smile. I’d never noticed that about him before. Suddenly, Earl seemed less like a grump and more like, well, a neighbor who wanted to be seen as helpful.

Mama

So if you’re headin’ into your day, whether it’s talking to family, a coworker, or the fella next door, maybe just try—just for today—lookin’ for that glimmer of good. It doesn’t mean you won’t find problems, but you just might find a little more heart, too. That’s it for today’s heart-to-heart—I hope y’all found a nugget or two to tuck away. Next time we’ll be chatting about another one of my favorite quotes, so y’all come back now—there’s plenty more where that came from. You hear what Mama said, now?! Okay, I love you, bye.