Give yourself time to grow

I like having plants around the house. 

When I first starting incorporating them everywhere, I would look at Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration. I now follow many plant accounts. I guess I can officially call myself an aspiring plant-lady. One of the things I would notice in the photos was how lush they were. I loved how well they filled up a room, how the vines climbed the walls. I didn’t want to live in a jungle, but I wanted to be surrounded by life. 

After filling my space with a few plants, I noticed that my home didn’t look like the lush Instagram photos I was double taping and my reality wasn’t looking like my expectations. After watering my plants for a few months, I noticed them start to grow. I killed a few flowers I planted immediately and thought whoops–but my plants continued to grow. Slowly. Gracefully almost. They naturally grew towards the sun. 

Growth is slow. 

I like having plants around the house to remind me that it takes time to grow. That I can’t rush the process. That new vines or opportunities will present themselves slowly, but surely. That sometimes when they need a little more sun, I need to find a source of light again. That when they are all droopy and looking like they about to die on me, I should check in on myself when I’m sinking into that state of no motivation. When I water the plant, the leaves go right back up the next day. So why shouldn’t I water myself with what I need? 

I’m the kind of person who wants things to happen in an hour. Tomorrow. Now. Not later or in a year. I find myself always looking for the finish line. But what if I told you there is no finish line? That we are all growing at our own pace. That sometimes we need to water each other and move into an environment that warms us up when we need to step away from darkness.

Look Back at Your Growth.

Taking the time to look at back on how much you’ve already grown should make you feel as if you’ve noticed a new leaf or flower blooming. I’m not saying you should go out of your way to be an aspiring plant-lady like me, but it helps to see life grow in front of you. Especially at its own pace, to keep you in the present. To remind you that your growth is slow and steady, and you’re right where you’re supposed to be.