A Reflection on Spring
Springtime is upon us. The Earth begins to thaw from the winter freeze and begins the rebirthing process to many different plants and animals. The start of the Spring season always seems so slow to me. After a long winter being cold and shut in doors, I yearn to be let free into a warm Spring afternoon free of coats and scarves. Spring is not all sunshine and rainbows though. Spring brings a mixture of weather, which at the moment feels frustrating because our mind thinks it should be nice and warm but the reality is that it’s rainy. Growing up, I can remember my mom always telling us, “April showers bring May flowers.” As a little kid, I didn’t understand this nor did I have the patience to wait another month for things to be nice and beautiful outside. I wanted it now. This is an analogy I think that can fit well for our own growth and rebirthing period that happens throughout the year.
When we start down a path of self-growth, we can sometimes set ourselves up for failure by the way we are expecting the journey to go. Open a few books, reflect and journal a few times and poof, you are now a more self-enlightened person! If only life were that simple. The same way the Earth and all of its life has a thawing and process of rebirth and so do we when it comes to our own personal journeys. This means that the process is not going to be all sunshine and rainbows. There are going to be a lot of rainstorms, maybe even thunderstorms along the way on our way to growth. These storms are not to be avoided, but embraced because this is a part of the growth process. We need to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones and truly discover where we need to change or develop and why we need to change or develop. This process may look like receiving honest feedback from people we trust, pushing ourselves slightly past our limits to see how we handle the pressure, or reflecting on our beliefs and how they are getting in our way at times of handling situations more effectively. This takes time and cannot be rushed to skip over the discomfort. We need to water the grass of our souls in order for our efforts to grow and take root.
During this upcoming week, I want you to stop and think about your own growth journey. Are you avoiding the storms because they are uncomfortable? Or are you allowing yourself to be nourished by the rain of knowledge and self-understanding to better be able to let your efforts grow and bloom? Be patient my friends, growth takes time and success does not happen overnight. It takes effort and persistence. Consistent effort and persistence is what helps to remain always in pursuit of our goals and personal growth. This also helps us to live our life on the offense even if it takes a long time to see the dividends of our hard work.
-Daren