Roots to blooms and everything in between...

​I love sharing my space with plants and have them in every room in my house.  Like animals, I learn so many lessons from them that help me to gain a deeper awareness and broader perspective.

I’ve had the African violet for maybe a year and it’s the first time I’ve seen her little purple and yellow flowers. I had this plant in a few other places in my home before moving her to the current spot a couple months ago. Almost right away, I noticed that the leaves became a deeper green and then watched as, over time, four little buds sprouted and bloomed. 

As I was looking at this plant 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 thrive.

​We have it within us – this ability to bloom into our full potential.  It does not come from something external to or beyond us.  It is not something that we create; it is something that we bring forward.  It is intrinsic to us, but is often covered over by layers of conditioning and programming that bury our core selves deep down and out of sight.  But watching this 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.  Sometimes, they are digging deep just to hold on and continue to be.  And it makes them strong and adaptable.  Again, 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, especially when I am in mindful-mode, is a constant reminder of the necessity for self-care on a personal level, which I always relate to self-love.  They are a visual reminder that living beings need to be nourished and nurtured - each in their own unique way. 

There is no exact formula that is going to make a plant thrive.  Some need more or less water; some want direct sunlight while others prefer to have a little distance from it.  It becomes a matter of becoming mindfully attuned to just what is needed and helping to provide it as consistently as possible, while practicing self-compassion when I fall short.  While this relates to caring for plants, it also directly relates to caring for ourselves as well.

When you consider this analogy, ask yourself, are you creating the kinds of conditions where you can thrive? 

What aspects of your life (habits, beliefs, perspectives, etc.) are helping to create a strong and stable foundation?  What are you doing to strengthen your roots?  In what ways are you nourishing and nurturing yourself?

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”?
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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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