Life Lessons from a Flower

A flower blossoms for its own joy
( Oscar Wilde)
It is a truism that Nature offers many lessons for our personal development. For instance, the unique features of each season teach us that life is multifaceted and multi-dimensional.
Impermanence is the natural order of life. The dark winter season gives way to the lively spring season. “
“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”
( P.B.Shelly )
What does a flower teach us?
A flower blooms at its pace. Some flowers bloom in a day, some others take many days to blossom. Children are like different flowers. Some children learn fast, others are slow learners. A late-blooming flower is no less beautiful than an early-blooming flower. Similarly, children who develop at a slow pace are no less intelligent than child prodigies whose talents in a domain are far ahead of their age. Late bloomers make up for the last years and pick up skills and knowledge in a measured manner.
A flower that blossoms for its own joy teaches us to lead our lives on our own terms. The flower doesn't care what we think about it. Humans are social animals who spend their lives worrying about how others will think of them. We want to conform to the social norms of society. In the process, we forget to pursue our own dreams and passions. We are so much engrossed in keeping up with the Joneses that we forget what we are capable of. Few reach the summit of personal growth which is self-actualization. Our potential dies with us.
A flower embraces birth and death on its own terms. Like a meteor, a flower appears in all its glory, exists for a while, and then disappears without any regret.
“Flowers are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
It doesn't matter whether the flower existed for a day or for a few months. The meaning of a flower’s life lies in its independence, and in its self-autonomy. For the flower, longevity is not a virtue. When it blooms and fades away, it doesn’t have any regrets. It has defied death.
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change.”
Buddha
Thanks for reading.