Before I left Dublin, there was a summer bloom with all the oscillating weather of sunshine & rain. Ireland went from solely vibrant green to hues of yellow, pink & purple.
This bloom had me appreciating the beauty and balance of nature which got me thinking…we are a lot like flowers & plants (before you laugh, just keep reading).
Now my knowledge of gardening and foliage is minimal, but I am aware that there are different plants which flourish in one or all four seasons. Fall, winter, spring and summer plants.
So, I have to ask: What kind of flower are you? And where are you planted?
Bear with me as I go into wild analogies. And a lot of questions you can (and should) answer for yourself. So grab a pen & paper, or your journal. And with each of these paragraphs I challenge you to close your eyes and truly think about these things. Write down anything you need, and process.
Imagine you’re a flower (or any plant really). What season do you bloom in? The sun? The rain?
Now think about your life and the seasons you’ve been in and the season you are in currently. Is this a dry season for you? A season of storms and showers? Or is it a season of sunshine and warmth? Is the climate of this season allowing you to grow or do you feel you are wilting?
Whatever the season, remember that seasons come and go. You can’t bloom in every season, and the next season is already approaching. Maybe for you this is a season of hibernation – of rest. Maybe it’s a stormy season where everything seems to be going wrong and all you can do is wait for the storm to pass. Or for some of you lucky ones, this is the season of blossoming and beauty for you. If so, I’m so happy for you! Soak in each ray of sunshine. Wherever you’re at, know that “this too shall pass”.
Plants grow in a variety of places. But each species requires certain soil & terrain. Are you planted in good, nutrient-rich soil? Are your roots deep in the ground or do you find yourself shallow in soil, easily uprooted? Or maybe you’re a dandelion and you find yourself without roots, drifting in the wind.
What types of plants grow around you? This is your community. Are there neighboring flowers which aid in your growth – certain people in your life which are building you up?
Or are you amongst some weeds, feeling more drained and let down by the people around you?
Or maybe you feel you don’t have a solid community right now. You find yourself alone, a solitary plant trying to grow in an empty field.
Everyone’s community looks different. Everywhere in nature there is a variety of species. Flowers and weeds. Trees and bees. However, you will rarely find a plant which grows solo. Most bloom together and have others close by. During the spring & summer months you will find bees & butterflies flying around help to pollinate flowers. Do you have bees or butterflies in your community which help keep you pollinated and help you flourish?
What nutrients are most important in your growth? Career, family, friends, hobbies? Are there certain activities you enjoy doing which bring you joy? Do more of them! Or is it the people whom you spend your time with that encourage you and allow you to grow? Spend more time with them!
I’m sure many of you imagine yourself as a beautiful rose or sunflowers, or maybe even an elegant oak tree in the beginning. Whatever the plant you chose, are you truly in an environment which allows you to flourish? Are you planted in a soil which provides nourishment for your soil? Or do you need physical, emotional and/or spiritual replenishment?
With these situations and in these seasons, what do you need to add to your environment which will allow you to reach your full potential – to become a blossoming flower or tall tree? Do you need to invite certain flowers or bees into your field?
Think about someone who pursues you and is always intentional with you (but not a current close friend of yours). This person is someone who you think you’d connect well with. Someone you could invite for coffee and they’d say yes and you’d have great conversation. Well, do that. Invite that person to join your friends for dinner, or ask them if they’d like to grab coffee with you. Connect with them and invite them to your field. These people are the ones which will enrich your environment.
In the same way, what needs to be removed from your environment? Are there weeds sucking the life out of you and taking your nutrients?
One of the most challenging choices we can make over the years is filtering through relationships and choosing which ones to let go of now. I am a firm believer that everyone comes into your life for a reason, however they leave it. But with this means sometimes there is a reason and time in which you need to say goodbye to people. People who may be hurting you and/or are bringing you down. Sometimes it’s just people you have drifted apart from. And that’s okay. They will just grow in another field where they too can be brought up to blossom. So don’t always think saying ‘no more’ to a relationship means you’re vanishing someone to oblivion. It just means you both need to be in different soil amongst other flowers where you can both flourish best (though sometimes people are simply just weeds and need to be pulled out of your life).
.
.
Now that you’ve thought about all this, I’ll ask you again:
What kind of flower are you and where are you planted?
Okay, there it is. The many questions my mind went to as I was deep in thought and reflection looking at flowers (this is why I needed a blog!).
I hope these analogies and questions could help you learn more about yourself. Learn more about who you are and how your environment affects you. If you take away anything from all this babble, I hope you can know these two things: Whatever season you’re in, it’ll change. And I hope that you can plant yourself where you are surrounded by an abundance of beautiful flowers which grow alongside you.
