A friend of mine posted this on Facebook the other day:
“I am ready to send 2012 back. It is defective. That is all.”
I know a lot of us have felt this way over this past year. 2012 is flying by us, and many of us have had a rough road professionally and personally.
Here are some thoughts on when the sh*% hits the fan.
I saw my Aunt Sherri last week. She lives in Sumter, SC, where the summer heat may be the most unforgiving of any place I’ve ever been. She was telling me about her garden which has been a challenge to keep cultivated in the scorching summer sun. She was really proud of one of her summer squash plants. Not once did it wilt in the sun because she kept it watered religiously.
Then a thunderstorm with heavy winds made a visit. Blew the squash plant right out of the garden.
When Sherri went to pick up the felled plant, she realized that the stalks were flimsy and slimy rather than spongy and brittle like they were supposed to be. “Grew too fast, too easy,” she said.
If the plant had been allowed to wilt and come back, it would have become sturdier in the process.
So, the point?
- We all go through periods when we wilt.
- At one time or another, we are the plant in the garden that gets a pile of sh*& shoveled on top of us.
- Sometimes we look around to see we’ve let a lot of weeds grow.
What’s crucial to remember?
- Wilting makes us stronger. We get some water, rest, and we bloom again.
- The sh*& fertilizes us and makes us grow.
- When you see the weeds, yeah it’s a pain in the ass, but all you gotta do is take some time and sweat to pull them up. No biggie.
Then when the thunderstorms blow in, and they will, your plant will stay hunkered down in the earth because you’ve got strong roots.
Let’s commit to growing strong roots for the rest of the year…no matter what’s going on above ground.
And remember. Some plants might look nice on the outside, but once the wind whips up a little, their real strength or weakness is revealed.