Nature has a way of showing us how life works, without using any words. It gives us clues on our personal growth and development.
Have you ever looked at nature and felt like it’s whispering answers to life’s big questions: how, why, when, where, what, which, who? When you sit under a tree, walk through a garden, listen to or watch a waterfall, or gaze at the plants as you water them, do you ever experience your thoughts falling into place? I do, and this is probably why a lot of people go to the beach, sit in the park, or stare at nature when they need clarity.
Nature includes everything not made by man: trees, animals, rivers, mountains, the air we breathe, and events not caused by man: earthquakes, hurricanes, sunrise, sunset and many more. It’s the earth doing its thing without our interference. And the sweet fact is, humans are nature too. We’re not separate from it. We’re made of the same stuff. So, if we really want to understand ourselves and this rollercoaster called life, it only makes sense to look at nature for clues.
Trees will grow in their own time. Flowers will blossom in their own season. Everything unfolds exactly when it’s supposed to. And maybe, that’s how we should approach our own lives too.
Now, let me tell you a little story that got me thinking about all this.
It started on one beautiful sunny morning. I was out in the garden, digging up my tired St. Augustine grass because I wanted to try something new in the front garden. While I was digging away, I found some bulbs buried deep in the lawn. I didn’t even know they were there. They must have been planted by the family who lived in the house while we were away. We had been back for a few years and not once did they sprout.
Curious, I scooped them up and gave them a new home in a flower pot with some rich, loamy soil mixed with manure. I had no idea what they were, but I watered them and waited. Before long, these gorgeous, thick green leaves started poking through. They looked so full of life, like they’d just been waiting for the right condition and moment to sprout. They grew nice and lush with several leaves. Then, just a couple of weeks before Christmas, out of nowhere, a tall stalk shot up and out came four buds that soon blossomed into beautiful pink flowers. I researched them online and it turned out they were Amaryllis plants that bloom in winter.
I was amazed that something so stunning had been buried in my lawn for several years. They didn’t die or rot. But, they didn’t sprout either. They were just breathing. Quietly, patiently, developing underground, waiting for their time.
That moment hit me hard. It reminded me that just like those Amaryllis bulbs, we all have our own timing too. We won’t advance at the same rate, neither will we attain the same status in life.
Maybe your best friend just bought a dream home while you’re still living with roommates. Or someone from high school is off, working in their dream career while you’re still trying to figure out what you really want to be. Maybe you’ve been to a dozen weddings as a bridesmaid but haven’t had a decent first date in years.
It’s easy to feel like you’re being left behind. But just like those bulbs I uprooted in my garden, you might just be in your breathing phase. It doesn’t mean you’re failing. Rather, it means you’re preparing, growing and developing silently. When the time is right, you will sprout too.
Personal Reflection
So, are you in your breathing phase? Do you feel stagnated or stuck on a spot? What are you doing with yourself in that phase? My advice is: breathe, live, learn and grow. That’s what those Amaryllis bulbs did. Be kind to yourself. Take care of your body and mind. Do things that make your heart feel full. Help others when you can and don’t forget to ask for help when you need it. Keep working and watering your dreams even when they are yet to sprout. And most of all, trust that your time will come. Read https://fullnineyards.com/gods-waiting-room-where-patience-meets-greatness/ to discover how to wait patiently.
When your season comes, you’ll know. It’s that feeling when things start falling in place, when doors of opportunities open up, and you can recognise and convert them to success. When your energy shifts and your vision becomes crystal clear.
It’s the season when you begin to get answers to your many requests: that dream job comes through, you meet your person, you have that baby you’ve waited so long for, or buy your first home at last. That’s when you step fully into who you’re meant to be: confident, radiant, balanced, alive. It’s when you glow from the inside out because you’ve done the inner work.
You can’t rush into this season, you earn it. With every setback you bounced back from, with every lesson you learnt the hard way, with every tear you cried secretly and still showed up with a smile, you’re building character; the foundation for a lasting bloom.
Your bloom might not look like someone else’s, and that’s okay. It shouldn’t. Afterall, all plants don’t look the same. You will bloom in line with your dreams and aspirations. Your timing will also be different. Some people hit their stride in their 20s, others in their 50s, and some late bloomers like my mum, after retirement. That doesn’t make one journey better than the other. It just shows our paths are different.
So, next time you’re feeling left behind or like you missed your shot, remember my Amaryllis bulbs. Remember those hidden bulbs that were probably buried too deep to sprout. They waited. Not rushing. Not giving up. Just breathing until I discovered and transplanted them.
Nature thrives on space and time. There is no rush. That’s the quiet wisdom we need to take into our own lives. You’re not too late. You’re not behind. You’re exactly where you need to be, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. The breathing phase is just as important as the blooming phase. Read https://fullnineyards.com/no-winners-no-losers-life-is-not-a-competition/ to learn not to rush through life.
So, give yourself permission to take a breath. Take many. Nurture your mind, your body, your heart. Stay rooted in patience and self-compassion. Trust that beneath the surface, things are happening: you’re growing, forming, becoming. And one day, when the moment is right, you’ll rise up just like those beautiful winter blooms, turning even the coldest season into something spectacular.
You will bloom. In your time. And when you do, it will be worth every moment you spent waiting. Be encouraged!