LIFE LESSONS
A Tale About Weeds
Or as I like to view them, the right plant in the wrong place
10 years ago I was studying Landscape Architecture. On one of the wild walks in the garden, I stated to our professor that there was a lot of weed in the flower border. What she told me that day has had different meanings throughout my life, from quite literal to the level of consciousness.
“That’s not weed, it’s just the right plant in the wrong place. Put it anywhere else and we see it as beautiful nature.”
She definitely was up to something, although I doubt she meant it like this.
Maybe this statement is something we can apply to ourselves
Sometimes I felt out of place as if I didn’t belong. Quite often I blamed myself and I started going to therapy because I felt as if it was my fault. As if something was wrong with me.
It can be quite liberating to look at this from a different perspective. Maybe my surroundings don’t suit me. Maybe I’m perfect in my own way, but just not in the right place to fully blossom. Maybe I’m like the weed.
When you feel stuck, dare to question your surroundings
Instead of thinking it’s up to you, maybe you should dare to doubt everything surrounding you. What are my surroundings doing for me? Are they nurturing, do they provide what I need and are my needs met?
If the answer to these questions is ‘no’, it’s possible the problem isn’t you. The only problem you’re dealing with is not wanting to set yourself free and allow yourself a safe place to grow and flourish. Instead, you find yourself always wanting to adapt to a surrounding that isn’t bringing out the best in you.
These surroundings can be actual places, like living at the beach or in a city, but they can involve the people you love, your career, co-workers… in short, everyone and everything surrounding you in your everyday life.
What it feels like when your surroundings are nurturing to you
- You feel in place, like you can truly be yourself and live your purpose.
- Thriving individuals are growing, developing and energized rather than feeling stagnated or stuck.
- You feel good about yourself, your feel content and overall happy
Adapt your place to fit you
So when you feel stuck, try to shift things up. Listen to what your inner voice is trying to tell you and act upon it. Often our inner voice is quieted by our head. Meditation can help you to listen to your inner voice and know what it is that doesn’t suit you anymore.
The fact is also that something could be good for you at one time, but doesn’t suit who you are today. We are constantly changing and shifting, so it’s perfectly normal that we change our environments too.
A weed is but an unloved flower — Ella Wheeler Wilcox
I hope you dare be the beautiful flower you are and take in the space you deserve!
Sending love and light,
El
