SpaceAgeSage

Gardening always amazes me. It is filled to the brim with life’s lessons encapsulated in the growing cycle:

This morning, I took seedlings and replanted them in larger spaces, hoping to succeed with container gardening this year since our local soil is more of a lifeless, powdery dust rather than hearty dirt. I also thinned out the rapidly growing spinach. Later today I will buy some already started tomato plants. My green thumb doesn’t work so well with growing tomatoes from seeds.

Three things I learned from my garden today:

1) If you want to grow seeds, the ground needs to be fertile

You can be the best writer, computer wizard, or sales person in the world, but “planting” any of those skills in poor soil won’t allow you to grow your dream easily.

• Need more education to “enrich your soil” but no money?
  I have found the Internet is filled with just about any knowledge you may need. Bloggers are helpful people who can direct you to tons of valuable information.

• Need better infrastructure?
  EBay, Craigslist, and local discount stores hold amazing buys for basic equipment as starter materials. Sites for living and working on the cheap exist by the dozens. Always ask yourself, “Is there a way I can get this for free or nearly free?” because it opens up your eyes to once-hidden alternatives. (Hey, I dumpster dived for lamps, small shelves, and stereos in my younger days.) Buy better as your situation improves.

• Need more money?
  These are tough times, so you have to think laterally. Connect with family or friends who can help out for the short-term. Connect with people online who might support or invest in you, who might buy something from you, who can network you to those willing to fund you. Cut out those small things that end up costing hundreds of dollars a month or year. Freelance your skills for even small jobs.

2) If you want greater growth, some thinning must take place

If a too many plants vie for the same space and nutrients, they all get weaker, so some have to be pulled up by the roots for the others to grow well.

• What physical possession can go?
  Sort your stuff by keep, sell or give away. Most of the time, we only use 20 percent of what we have so why not chuck the rest? This clears the clutter and the mind, plus you might make a buck or make some lucky second-hand recipient happy.

• What attitude must go?
  As much as we like to blame others, we often get stuck in a rut or held back by our own attitudes or issues. If fear of failure or fear of success is your ball and chain, how can you expect to grow? If authority figures scare you and leaving a job seems too risky, how can you expect to find yourself, your confidence, and your dreams coming alive? If you find the world is “out to get you” and you blame “the man,” how can you grab life by the horns and make something of your ideas, hopes, and wishes?

• What people should I cultivate or let go?
  Friends who lift you up, inspire you, make you laugh and otherwise enrich your life are priceless. But if your “friends” have a greater interest in themselves, in putting you down, in making your emotions yo-yo, or in otherwise limiting and negating your growth, you may need to evaluate the influences around you.

3) If you aren’t skilled at something, let others help

Very few of us can do it all, so asking for help may be the very thing we need to feed our hopes and dreams with super-grow nutrients. Sure people can re-invent the wheel by trying to do things on their own, but why?

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  Assessing our skills helps us know where to focus. I stink at tech, but I enjoy writing, especially blog writing. I will keep my focus on writing and let my techie hubby help me in all things computer.

• What are my resources and sources?
  If I need the perspective of a 20-something, I ask my nieces. If I need how-tos on blogging, I first go to ProBlogger. If I need to know what I need, I go to Google and research. I find it is important to know the resources exist, and that I just need to find them. It is like when I first try a new computer program. I know what the last program could do, and I know the new one does it, too, I just have to find the right menu item or dialog box. Knowing it is there somewhere, makes me keeping looking until I have success.

• What if they say, “No?”
  I used to fear rejection, but 14 years of living with a husband whose motto is, “The answer is “No” unless you ask,” has shown me a world of possibilities I never knew existed. “No” doesn’t mean I am bad or they are bad. “No” doesn’t mean everyone else will answer the same. “No” is just a temporary barrier to let you prove to yourself that this is what you really want.

POCKET-THOUGHT:
Just as in the garden, moments and situations exist in the city, on the road, at work, and at home that can give us insight into life. We just have to open our hearts to the rhythms and harmonies flowing around us.

What has life taught you today?

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Tags: change, finding sagehood, garden as metaphor, growing, improvement