Roots to blooms and everything in between...

​I love sharing my space with plants and have them in every room in my house.  I learn so many lessons from them that help me to gain a deeper perspective on life and my personal experience within it.

I’ve had the African violet for a couple years and it’s the first time I’ve seen its little purple and yellow flowers. It lived in a few other places in my home before moving it to its current spot a couple months ago.

​Almost right away, I noticed that the leaves became a deeper green. I watched as, over time, four little buds sprouted and bloomed. ​

​​As I was looking at the blooms this morning, it got me thinking about how we as humans, just like plants and any other living things, need just the right conditions in which to really come alive.

​We have it within us – this ability to bloom into our full potential.  This ability does not come from something external to or beyond us.  It is not something that we have to create; it is something that we have to uncover. 

​It is intrinsic to us but often covered over by layers of conditioning and programming that buries our core selves deep down and out of sight. 

​Watching this little plant bloom has been a reminder that we have so much potential, lying dormant within us, just waiting to rise to the surface and spring to life!

​There have been times when I've been distracted and forgot to water my plants at just the right time.  I felt a sense of guilt when it happened – when their soil was dry and their leaves started to droop a bit.  ​

But then I would remind myself that a little adversity goes a long way in building character and resilience, and that very few living things in this world have the exact perfect conditions at all times.  ​

When I've neglected to water them, they would have to dig deep, hold on, and have faith that what was needed would be provided.  The challenge helped to make  them strong and adaptable.  ​Just as it does for us as individuals.

​While very little in nature can bloom year-round, you CAN create the ideal conditions, both internally and externally, to still thrive at your core, even in the midst of challenging situations.

Seeing my plants every day is a constant reminder of the necessity for my own personal self-care.  They are a visual reminder that living beings need to be nourished and nurtured - each in their own unique way. ​

Just like with people, there is no exact formula that will make each plant thrive.  Some need more or less water; some want direct sunlight while others prefer to have a little distance from it.  

For me, it has become a practice of being mindfully attuned to what  they need  and providing it as consistently as possible. It’s also a practice in self-compassion at times when I fall short.   

While this relates to caring for plants, it also directly relates to caring for ourselves as well.

​Explore your own Roots: what aspects of your life (habits, beliefs, perspectives, etc.) are helping to create a strong and stable foundation?  What are you doing to understand your roots?  Do you feel grounded and secure?

​​And on the other hand, what aspects of your life are currently depleting your inner resources and causing you to lose your vibrancy – to “dry up” or “droop”?

​Lastly, what aspects of your life make you bloom?  What are you doing when you feel like the absolute best version of yourself?  What are you passionate about, committed to, and enriched by?  What makes you come alive?

​While we can't control many aspects of our lives, each of us has the ability to work within our own unique situations to create a strong foundation of self-love and self-care, while nurturing the parts of us that make us feel awake, aware, and alive!

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Author

Learn more about Bobbi Beuree, Halifax-based Coach + Facilitator