Bloom…Baby…Bloom!

As Springtime approaches, I find myself wandering around my yard surprised at the deep need I feel to get to know my surroundings in this new home of ours; I love seeing the flowers as they start peeking their little heads out and the trees with their wonderful little buds abounding. I find such joy in the daffodils that are brightly sharing their beauty, and as I do so, I cannot help but think of a quote that has touched me time and again…“Bloom Where You’re Planted”.

Many years ago, when I first set my eyes upon this little gem, I took it to mean be happy no matter where you might be.

Over the years I’ve come to understand that where we might be includes not only where you live, but it also means how you live, what you’re doing, and where you are at in life. Sometimes it can even be about where you can’t live, or what you may not be... It can be about a situation you are in, or a situation you long to be in.

No matter where you are planted, this phrase, “Bloom where you’re planted” is a reminder that you are strong and able to grow and blossom beautifully under any circumstance. No excuses. No more of the “if only…” or “when I…” Those phrases, those thoughts do not bring about blooming. They stifle the grandeur we each possess.

Blooming is a slow process. A full bloom comes in a slow and steady way. It’s about taking one small step in the right direction, every opportunity you get. It’s about realizing that sometimes life doesn’t always go the way we might wish, sometimes we may feel we cannot blossom in the situations we’ve been placed in. Unfortunately, there are many times in life when we are faced with these very real feelings. It is then that we have to make a choice; we can turn inward and shrivel in the soil, or we can open our buds and blossom beautifully in the sun. There are no guarantees in this life, so when we hold back we do so at the risk of never fully blossoming.

A flower doesn’t ask for perfection before blooming…it does whatever it can to bring its beauty to the world. We would do well to take note of that…

We can bring such beauty to the world around us…Enjoy where you are, what you’re doing and how you’re doing it! This moment will never come again, don’t let it pass you by. We can thrive and flourish as we turn our heads to the sunshine…we can abound and bring joy to others as we choose to bloom!