Learning From Nature About Strength and Vulnerability
I was perched over my sink last week eating lunch and looking out the window, a common spot for me when working from home. It was about noon on Wednesday I think, and I was admittedly indulging my ego in a bit of a worry session. All the “what if’s” creeping in and doing their dance, making my stomach tie into knots and landing me in a seemingly immovable place. “What are you doing? Who do you think you are? Look at how great that other person is doing, you’ll never be able to do THAT” and on and on… I’ve come to recently realize that when this happens, I need to just let my thinking brain do its thing, stand on the sidelines and let the fear feeding frenzy just run its course and eventually the voice will tire.
In the meantime, I couldn’t help but notice the small but encouraging signs of growth appearing on the tree outside of my window. The little buds of vibrant green starting to peek out of the rough brown bark of the tree.
How completely vulnerable they looked. So small and helpless that they could easily get knocked off by a gust of wind or a storm. Yet it occurred to me that they didn’t seem to pay any mind to this potential fate on their quest for growth. They didn’t stress or worry about whether or not they were even going to become a leaf at all. They didn’t apologize or try to hide for being small and helpless and in the process of growth. They didn’t worry about what the bud next to them was doing. They were in this moment, just focused on becoming more. Not overnight, not in a week, just a little bit each day, using whatever nutrients they found had come their way, and little by little, they would eventually unravel to become their fullest selves.
Ok, sure, maybe I let my imagination take this little daydream and run with it, but I couldn’t help but be attracted to the simplicity of it. And, those who know me well, know I love a good nature metaphor. We, humans, like to make things so darn complicated, but I’m finding when it comes to growing a sustainable business as a single human being it helps to keep things as simple, focused and clear as possible. My mantra this year: One Thing At A Time.
Our culture of million-dollar start-up ventures has put so much pressure on us being successful overnight, or at least faking success (ie. buying Instagram followers for example). But what this doesn’t allow us to do is spend the time each day investing in real, sustainable, customer-focused growth because we spend too much time putting up this fake armor to protect ourselves from feeling vulnerable and really embracing the process of growth and learning.
So I say: the next time you’re walking around the park or your backyard this month, just take a minute to watch the leaf buds unfold. Embrace their vulnerabilities as your own. Don’t apologize for whatever stage of growth you are in, whether just getting started or 5 years into it. Be proud of where you are, celebrate how far you’ve come and most of all soak in the small moments each day that are going to help you unfold those leaves just a little more. It’s not a race to the finish line, the way to win the game is to see who can have the most fun and make the best of being in the process all the way through. Learn from nature and find your strength in vulnerability.
With Love and Gratitude,
Erin
