Fun Fact: Did you know that lilacs grow new shoots from branches that look presumably dead?
When was a moment that you wanted to give up but later, in hindsight, saw the things you learned from that difficult moment?
We are growing. Literally. We are growing everyday. A child grows in inches and massive amounts of knowledge in a short amount of time. Adults grow in their self awareness and introspection, learning to sow their seeds to become the best they can be. There is something magical in watching flowers, trees, and foods grow.
What can start as a tiny little seed, sometimes the size of the tip of a needle, can turn into something amazing with time and patience. This is so much like life and our businesses. We can’t expect beautiful things to happen out of nothing. Sometimes beautiful things grow from the difficult experiences and circumstances, much like how lilacs shoot new life from their branches that may look exhausted of all of its life.
What is something that has brought you “back to life”?
Spring is one of my favorite seasons. I have a garden, or what I would like to call a garden, in my yard. It’s more like, ‘let’s just see what comes up this year and then plant some more cool bulbs in the fall for more surprises the next spring.’ There is no rhyme or reason to my yard, yet. I have big dreams for what it could be, but it will take time cultivating it and caring for it to eventually enjoy the wonders that grow from the dirt.
Sometimes my bulbs don’t produce any flowers, and sometimes I will start to see a sign of a stem, but it soon fades (or the rabbits eat it), but no matter what, there are always some that make it to bloom. I think of these much like all of the ideas I have for my business and goals that I would like to reach in life. Some stay just that, ideas and goals. Some bring a spark, but then it fades because of lack of time or lost interest, but then some bloom into something glorious. These are the ideas that we put our heart and soul into. These are the ideas and goals that we care for and spend time on. They are the ones that we walk outside everyday to peek at its tiny little progress because even if we barely see it grow, we know it is still changing and developing into something beautiful.
I think that we need to look at our lives like a garden. Not just in the sense of our business progress, but truly in our lives to think about what do we want to tend to, what seeds are we planting for ourselves and others? What kind of garden do you want to bloom?
Some years our gardens will be plentiful and it will be difficult to keep the joy contained. Some years our gardens might not be as successful, we might only have a few sprouts and signs of life. Either way, what I love about spring is that it is a new beginning. Even if you had a fruitless year, it does not need to stay that way. Even when we have an emotionally draining personal year, things will grow again. There is beauty that comes out of the dirt with patience, love, and care.
You have started to hear about these Flourish Sessions, and this stemmed from the idea of that we can all grow together in an environment that is made for learning and care. The more we work together, the more beautiful our own garden will grow the community garden that we sow together. In addition to Flourish Sessions, creatives alike may join The Blossoming Creatives. I am constantly thinking of the metaphor or life, growth, and care in relation to our lives and businesses. If you are interested in a creative entrepreneurial group that helps you through the tough dirt and encourages you to bloom and grow into something wonderful, then this is the group for you. There are no judgments on where you are at in your journey, because we all start somewhere and we all have the potential to blossom into something beautiful when surrounded with the right conditions and mindset.
Tend to your dreams and ideas as you would your own garden. When you are having a rough time getting through the dirt (or shit) of life, think of the lilac. Know that learning and personal growth comes from those difficult time and that flowers will still bloom in your garden and from branches that seem to have been lost.
You may notice that I post lots of pictures of flowers on my Instagram feed. I do this because they remind me of continuing to move on even when things are getting tough. I love the details of flowers, because I believe the small pieces that make a flower remind me that even the tiniest of changes are beautiful. The most mundane pieces of our life are to be celebrated and shared. What are the small pieces of you that you like to celebrate?
Think of your favorite flower or plant. Use that as a visual representation of what you are to become. What stage of this flowers growth are you in? In reference to the lilac, I feel like in this moment I am the new sprout from the dead-looking branch. This year has been the first time I have invested intentional time into my business and finally it feels ‘right’. I believe I am starting to grow from the things I have learned. What flower are you and what growth stage are you in?
Bloom bold and beautiful, my lovely creative friends. You have lots of talents to share and don’t let the setbacks of poor weather or droopy leaves stop you from continuing to care for yourself and your business. Flowers and plants can be pretty resilient, just like you.
