Life grows here

“When you stop growing you start dying.” William S. Burroughs

Life in the garden is about more than just plant life. There is an entire ecosystem of microorganisms below the surface that start the process of creating and supporting life. In fact, it is said that there are more microbes in a teaspoon of soil than humans on Earth. How crazy is that?! These microbes are the first building block of healthy soil and without this foundation of support, the plants would simply struggle to survive. Soil life and biodiversity is absolutely paramount to success in the garden, much like a strong support system in our daily lives is necessary for us to accomplish our personal goals and lead a fulfilling life. I must admit, I have never been one to ask for help, even when I knew I needed it most, because this was admitting to myself that I didn’t have all the answers and that I was weak. How absurd is that! Yet I would watch countless videos on YouTube about gardening or take classes at local nurseries to learn best practices because I wanted to learn from the experts. As the great Alanis Morissette once said, “isn’t that ironic”? Now how many of you just sang that last line with the same inflection as she did in the song? We all did and you know it! I could admit that I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to gardening, yet I told myself that I should know everything else about how to succeed in life by my very narrow experiences and knowledge thus far. Coaches exist for a reason, to help you succeed and be the best you can at the task at hand. Literally. That is their purpose, and when you find a good one, hold on to them because they can be life changing. I have a few in my life and am definitely learning to lean on others for support when I am in need of a little boost or a different perspective than my own. I cherish these folks and am so grateful that I have opened myself up to not only criticism but also praise. I was, and kinda still am a bit, horrible at accepting positive feedback. For anything. I would never allow myself to admit that maybe I was actually good at something or have knowledge to share to others, always the quiet guy in the back who was afraid to speak up. Well not any more! Ask a gardener what their favorite thing to talk about is, and we’ll all same the same thing, our gardens! Or just gardening in general. Or soil. Or mulch. Or anything related to gardening. So don’t ask if you don’t have time to hear about our garden! Anyway, I digest. Back to the topic at hand, my ignorant way of thinking about life. I definitely appreciate the coaches, therapists, friends, and family that are there for me when I need them most. They are all part of an ecosystem that is my little world and their support makes my life better. And bigger. The opportunities and possibilities that have presented themselves to me in the last few years would not be available if my old mindset was still running the show. Thankfully it is not! The ability to bounce ideas off others, talk through a problem or obstacle, embrace in a loving and supportive hug, or just catch up with someone I haven’t seen in a while, is such a positive influence in my life and I’ll never know what little nugget I may pick up, sometimes without even realizing it at the time. But to call back to that insight and tweak an existing thought or mindset can have such far reaching tentacles that the realization of that shift may not be experienced for years, but it’s there and it will present itself when the time is right. I don’t think it’s a stretch to equate this support system to things I have seen in the garden. For instance, we have a VERY large artichoke plant, I mean this baby is massive and this year it already has about 8 or 10 artichokes developing. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen an artichoke bloom, but it is one of the most beautiful flowers you will ever see. It reminds me of something from the ocean floor because of it’s purple-ish thistle-like blooms, almost like a sea anemone. Of course before the globe goes to flower, we can harvest the vegetable and eat it, but when left on the plant to develop the flower, the nectar then feeds bees, butterflies, and other insects. In return for this food source, nature has a way of taking care of it’s own. My wife noticed a ton of ladybugs and ladybug larvae on the plant and asked me if that was normal. For those that aren’t gardeners, most of the time when ladybugs show up, you have a problem and the plant has called for help. Luckily the support system is already in place and the call is heard. Sure enough, aphids! Cue the Darth Vader music. Oh how I despise aphids. I don’t use that word much, but when it comes to aphids, that’s the nicest word I can think of to write here. But, that’s why the ladybugs are here, nature’s organic pest control when it comes to these little suckers! They can eat up to 5000 insects in their lifetime! Whaaaaat? That’s crazy, but it’s true. The plant has no defense mechanism against aphids, so it asks for help. For answering this call, ladybugs are rewarded with food, the plant is rewarded with removal of the annoying pests, and others are eventually rewarded with beautiful and delicious food. It’s a beautiful system and everyone works toward a common goal, the creation and support of life. Nothing is wasted. Everything is intentional. There is no ego. No greed. No hierarchy of power. Just support of those in need. To help one another not only survive, but thrive! The ladybug knows its role in the garden. Understands what it must do to support this life in need of a little help and gets to work! You should look up what a ladybug larvae looks like, because it will shock you! And you will know in the future that this is a “good” bug, so let it be, it’s there to help. Sometimes I think we forget that we are also here to help. As humans we get caught up in our own lives and forget that we are here to be in service to others. To help others succeed so that they can do the same for us. That we are part of nature and nature is part of us. We tend to think that we are above all others and what we do doesn’t matter, when nothing could be further from the truth. Everything matters! Every one of our actions has a consequence, intentional or otherwise. No one is perfect, trust me, this I understand all too well! But I do what I can to make this a better place for everyone. Am I perfect, not even close, but I try every day to be a little better than yesterday. To answer the call when someone asks for help. To be the guy that will just listen when a friend needs an ear. Or to be the tree that lends a little support in a time of need. To lead with compassion and empathy instead of ego and self-importance. To see the positive in each situation. I get that we all have bad days and some things are out of our control but we get a choice every morning when we wake up. How are we going to approach today? It’s one day but the attitude we lead with sets the tone for this one day. And when you lead with love, when you lead with empathy, and acceptance, and understanding, and gratitude, life is so much more vibrant. The little things just bounce off of you as if to say, no thank you, not today! How we treat each other, no matter if you are a friend or a stranger, is what matters. So the question is, are you the aphid? Or are you the ladybug? 🐞

See you in the garden!