In many parts of Japan, the cherry blossoms bloom through winter and into spring. In my part of the world in January, the snowdrops and crocuses know it’s time to bloom, in February it’s the daffodil’s turn, and March brings the tulips. There are a number of environmental factors that influence exactly when the blooming will take place each year – temperature, rain, frost and snow – but when the time is right, they know it’s time.
With us humans, we also bloom when the time is right. Sometimes we slow our progress down, when we procrastinate, over-think the consequences and try to second-guess the outcomes. We might want the time to be right, for the conditions to be just right and everything aligned and perfect.
Every flower blooms at a different pace.
Suzy Kassem
If you watch the video below, you will see that long before the plant appears above the surface the seed is busily building a strong root structure to sustain the plant when it pushes above the earth. Then, when that structure is built, it takes the risk to push through the soil not knowing what dangers or possibilities await it’s appearing.
When you take risks, you become exposed to a vast range of possible outcomes, which may be what you wish for or which may not be to your liking. The strength of your root structure will be important to sustain you.
When a plant is not thriving, we usually do not blame the plant. We examine the conditions around it – the soil condition, hydration, the temperatures, exposure to light, shade and so on.
We need to be aware of the conditions surrounding us too. Are the people, the environment and the circumstances that surround you creating the optimum conditions for your to bloom? What needs to change so that you can freely bloom?
You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more.
Oprah Winfrey
These wise and poetic words of David Whyte challenge us to reflect on what stops us from blooming.
You must learn one thing:
the world was made to be free in.
Give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong.
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
And finally … watch this – it will take 3 minutes!