How Does Your Garden Grow?
This time of the year always delights to me. I looooove walking out to my garden each morning to pick some new treat for that day’s lunch.
Thanks to the right combination of rainy weather, sunshine, nutrient dense organic soil and love, I have a small jungle that has taken over my box gardens!
While picking an aromatic handful of basil, I reflected on how perfect the metaphor of a garden is for our life journey.
Growth doesn't happen overnight just as the garden doesn't pop up the day after you plant the seeds. It takes time, nurturing, sunlight and water. It takes attention and kind of words. (Yes, I talk to my plants. Research shows they grow faster when you do! LOL) Sometimes a plant needs a little extra help, like when I have to string up my peas so they don't just topple over. Giving them extra support and something sturdy to cling to while they continue to grow is crucial.
Before planting a garden, it needs to be the right time of the year. The soil needs to be tended to, weeds need to be removed, the desired seeds and seedlings picked out in anticipation of changing the terrain and creating new life an nourishment. This is not unlike you and me and our personal journeys through life.
We are ALL guilty of wanting change to happen overnight. What I have learned, however, in my own life and in coaching others, is that we first need to do some prep work to be ready to make the changes we want. We need to dig into the soil of our heart, mind and soul to clear out things that are getting in the way of creating the lives we want.
Once we’ve removed or worked through our obstacles - like limiting beliefs, negative self-talk, addictions to food/work/substances, released toxic relationships, etc - THEN we are ready to start planting the seeds of intention for the things we want to create or manifest in our lives.
Even then, just like my pea plants, sometimes we need additional support to continue to grow in an upward trajectory. I think that’s where a committed friend, a coach or a therapist (or all of them!) can be tremendously helpful. Trying to to hold scaffolding in place while climbing it can be pretty tricky, if not darn near impossible. Having a coach or a mentor to help keep the supportive structures together and give you something sturdy to cling to while you grow may be crucial at times.
Learning to trust ourselves is one of the greatest spiritual and life lessons there is, IMHO. The irony is that, sometimes, we need someone else to help guide us to that point. As I often tell my clients, it can be difficult for the same brain that got us stuck to be the brain that gets us out! Co-opting someone else’s insight, wisdom and experience can us help gain a 10,000 foot view that we might not otherwise be able to access.
So, how does your garden grow? Is it flourishing? Is it producing? Does it need a little tending? are you ready to reach the next level of your life/career/relationship but could use a little support as you put the scaffolding in place? Feel free to contact me to schedule a complimentary consult to discuss how I might help support you in your journey!
