How Smart Women Tend Their Gardens

Recently, I walked through my family room and stumbled upon papers belonging to my son Jack. He had been working on a kindergarten project. His paper said: Plants grow from seeds. The project required him to cut out four pictures and paste them in the correct order. The pictures were of a seed, watering to make the seed sprout, the root and stem emerging, and the flower in full bloom. I smiled at the simplicity of Jack’s project. Then my thoughts turned to the complexity of what’s really involved in making a garden – the ones in the backyards, sure, but more importantly the ones in our lives.

If only there were four simple steps to planting the seeds that would blossom into a rich and meaningful life – full of beauty and color. In my Women’s Success Circles, we focus on tending to our life gardens. We focus on growing passion and purpose and how to take care of ourselves so that our futures are bright and healthy. If you think of your future as a potential garden, ask yourself these questions:

o What flowers or plants most appeal to you?
o What seeds should you plant now?
o When will those seeds grow and be ready for harvest?
o How much care and tending will your garden require?
o Who will support you in growing your garden?
o How will you find time to pull the weeds so that they don’t take over?

In our fast-paced society, we often don’t cultivate the patience required to grow the kind of garden we’d really like to have. We plant a seed, water it a few times, and hope it will grow. We become frustrated when it doesn’t sprout or mature quickly enough or if it’s not as luscious as our neighbor’s garden. Think about how you’d like to grow your garden over the summer. Will you plant the right seeds in the right places? Support them to grow? Know when to harvest your crop?

Cultivating your garden of passion and purpose requires patience and support. I invite you to take some time in the coming months to reflect on your personal garden. Summer is fast approaching which means longer days, warmer evenings, and plenty of time to sit in the garden of your own life. I wish you a season in full bloom.