11 Life Lessons from a Garden!
I have been a garden enthusiast for many years. I now have a small garden patch in addition to some pots in my ground floor apartment.
It is said that Nature is a great teacher. Over so many years, I have been learning quite a bit from my experiences as a garden enthusiast. Let me share 11 such points with you:
1. What we sow so shall we reap. There is no way we can get an apple tree if we sow a lemon seed. Sometimes we may be continuing doing the same thing but expecting different results. If you want an apple tree, make sure you sow an apple seed.
2. If we do not ‘see’ growth, it does not mean it is not happening. Once we sow the seeds, we need to wait. We cannot turn up the soil every two days to ‘see’ growth. If you recall the famous Chinese Bamboo story, while the plant is not growing upwards, it is actually developing its roots to sustain the plant when it grows really tall. While working with plants, patience continues to be a virtue.
3. Every plant has a right to flourish on this planet. Just in my 50 square feet garden, I have at least 40 varieties of plants. They look so different from each other. When we deal with people who do not look like us or behave like us or appear weaker than us, we have a tendency to talk down to them or be contemptuous of them as if they have no right to exist on this planet. Instead of pushing people down, could we use the same strength to extend our hand and help them reach their glory?
4. We cannot suddenly change our expectations from a plant. We cannot expect a delicate vine to grow on its own into an oak tree just because we have now reset our standards. This applies to us as parents. We are delighted when our children listen to us and are highly obedient. Later, as they grow up, we complain that they are not as confident as their other cousin or classmate.
5. Ambition can be expressed in different forms. The world understands ambition as something big, large and grand. Alongside a tall Eucalyptus tree, I can also see a small plant that overflows out of a tiny pot. Probably, both are of the same age. It is not that the small plant is not ambitious, just that its ambition is expressed in a different form. We need to understand that each one is wired differently. We should not conclude based on our own wiring. Both a doctor and a poet can be equally ambitious and successful. Be proud of who you are.
6. The same input could produce different results. The same soil conditions, the same measure of water, but the results could be quite different between two plants of the same variety. Just goes to show that when we deal with plants or people, there is going to be this unpredictability. We need to accept this fascinating reality.
7. Some plants need support. For instance, vines need something to climb on. Normally, If someone asks for support, we consider the person to be weak, which is why millions of people struggle all alone, whether it is in a career or in a condition like depression. Instead of considering this as a weakness, we must compliment them for the courage they showed to seek help. Having said this, we must also be careful about how much support we need to provide. Do not overdo the support to the point of spoon-feeding them.
8. Don’t give up too soon. Sometimes, a wilting plant just needs to be left alone with access to sun and water. My experience has been that with time and our faith, it recovers. When we deal with people who are going through a challenge, it helps to give them some space while assuring them of support. Like plants, such people will be on the road to recovery soon.
9. The soil may not be right for the seed. If things don’t work out, we could end up blaming the seed. We need to be careful before jumping to a conclusion. A seed sown in a desert dies while the same seed sown in a fertile soil germinates so well. If our ideas are not appreciated, it may not be the fault of the idea. Find a different soil for the sake of the seed.
10. Removing weeds is critical. The weeds absorb the nourishment meant for the plant. Avoid negative people and unplug any negative thoughts arising in the mind. Both consume valuable energy leaving us depleted.
11. When we work with our own hands and create something, it is therapeutic. Our life is longer than our formal working life. All of us need to develop a long-term serious hobby that consumes us for life.
Ruskin Bond says, ‘you can never be lonely when you are with Nature’. I would add that you can never be lost when you are with an inspiring teacher.
