Hmmm. A red tulip and a yellow tulip are blooming in my white garden. I can guess how they got there: I plopped in a pot of non-blooming tulip bulbs, thinking they were white tulips. Nope.
The yellow tulip reminds me to pause. Pause before i say something i might regret later. Pause before frustration or impatience fly off my tongue.
The red tulip reminds me to stop. Stop and feel the situation–the probably uncomfortable, unpleasant situation–right this moment. Sink into the body. Sink into the emotions. Sink into how the emotions feel in the body. I don’t need to react. I can stop, and, when i feel into the unpleasantness, i can respond from my heart.