I’ve always loved sunflowers. I collect sunflower stickers, notebooks, paintings, bags and everything in between.
This year, I finally got the chance to see a sunflower field in full bloom. I looked across the long golden rows in awe. Blessed were my eyes, and enchanted was my heart.
Surrounded by hundreds of sunflowers, all standing tall beneath the same sky, I found myself wondering: What is it about this flower that has always captivated me?
Young sunflowers follow the sun. As the sun moves across the sky, young plants turn their faces toward the light. Scientists have found that this movement is connected to the plants’ circadian rhythms — their internal biological clocks. As they mature, sunflowers eventually settle into a fixed position facing east.
I had read this as a fun fact before, but standing in that field, it felt like something more.
If sunlight is what sunflowers follow, then which light do I follow?
I now call it my “sunflower theory.”
Following the light doesn’t mean ignoring obstacles or convincing myself that everything will always be easy. It means being intentional about where I direct my attention and my energy.
Sometimes, the light is hard to see. Sometimes, the darkness surrounds me. In those moments, I remind myself that no matter how long the night may be, dawn eventually comes.
Following the light does not mean pretending the darkness isn’t there. It means refusing to let it become the only thing I see. Perhaps it is in those moments that resilience and growth begin.
There will always be things that distract us and disappoint us. There will be days when the light feels distant. But perhaps the point is to never lose sight of it.
Keep your light close enough to guide you when everything else becomes dark.
And when the path gets difficult, remember the sunflower.