Are you planting seeds?
Being part of a society that markets success as how many hours you work and how much money is in your bank account, it’s easy to get caught up in what our life looks like from the outside rather than the seeds we are planting.
Earlier this year I found myself flat chat with work. I had so many jobs and auditions on the go and was just loving how busy I was. I was thriving on the fact that I always had somewhere to be and something to do. So busy that I definitely didn’t have time to contemplate any existential crises that might have been niggling at the back of my mind.
Then work started to slow down (as is often the case with performing and freelance teaching). All of a sudden I found myself with a lot of time. And so I began to worry that I wasn’t ‘doing’ enough which then evolved to ‘you are not enough’.
Believing that you are not enough is one of the most disempowering beliefs people hold, and one I have struggled with for many years. So even though the Universe had provided me with some “free time”, an opportunity to spend on projects I felt passionate about and people I loved, I still felt a sense of guilt when someone asked me what I was up. On paper it didn’t look like I was “achieving” much so I felt less than, until I stumbled across this quote:
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap
but by the seeds that you plant.”
~ Robert Louis Stevenson ~
“If my life were a garden,
what would it look like?”
Pondering on this I realised that if I invited you to my garden right in that very moment it would probably look like nothing more than a patch of dirt with the occasional random sprout of greenery here and there. And in that very moment I realised that was exactly how I wanted my garden to look.
Being in a very transitional phrase of my life, I realised it’s the foundations I am laying that are important right now, the seeds that I am planting. Perhaps if you look at my garden today you won’t see much, but if you look closely you might see the beginnings of some ideas. Ideas full of potential, waiting to blossom into beautiful flowers. Overall the garden looks pretty messy and I know some of the seeds I have planted may never reach the surface but if I keep planting and watering them, one day my garden will be a sight to see and even one you might wish to visit and spend some time in.
I feel very grateful that I have a wonderful collection of friends and family who even in the barren and messy landscape of my current garden still visit and help me tend the seeds, I even have a grumpy old gnome who often hangs around my garden. My garden is not perfect but it is a work in progress. And so I will keep this next quote in mind anytime I find myself worrying about outcomes:
“You’re frustrated because you keep waiting for the blooming of flowers of which you have yet to sow the seeds.”
~ Dr Steve Maraboli ~
What does your garden look like?
And so I ask you, “what does your garden look like?”
Is it picture perfect?
Is it colourful and vibrant?
Is it healthy?
Is it functional?
Is it overgrown?
Are there weeds that can be disposed of?
Are there things missing in your garden?
What seeds have you grown?
AND
What will you plant next?
I don’t think there is any ‘perfect’ garden or any exact path to follow in tending your garden but perhaps it is worth asking the question “what does my garden look like?” Maybe there is a seed you have been holding in your hand waiting for the perfect moment to plant. Could that ‘perfect’ moment be today, in fact, could that ‘perfect’ moment be right now?
Peace.
Love.
Namaste.
Emma
Emma Hawthorne is a Performer, Yogi and Dance teacher. She loves sharing her passion for movement, creativity, and ideas. If you are looking to move, breathe, and get inspired, then try out some classes with Emma today at Omunay.com