Every time an orchid re-blooms, my faith is restored. (And all my orchids re-bloom in my house.) I’m a lucky girl! My faith is renewed year-round! I’ve had this orchid nearly five years now. I do a little dance when a new stem starts to push through the roots and then an even bigger dance when the blooms begin to appear. Ask my boys. I point the blooms out to them EVERY single time. It sounds silly. But every time an orchid re-blooms I become super hopeful and feel that I’m on the right path. We all have the capacity to re-bloom. But it takes a little effort and a lot of self love. Here’s why:
First: in order to bloom or re-bloom, we have to know ourselves. So many of us really know what others want. If you are a good friend of mine, or another mom, you’re likely nodding. We know what our partners want and we try SUPER hard to give them what they want or BE what they want. Sigh…We know what our children need or want and we do double flips to provide that too. But stop. What do you need to thrive? Do you even know what makes you feel good? Do you know what type of bloom you want to have? Purple? Yellow? White? What do you like besides taking care of others and trying to BE what others want? Are you on your to-d0 list? What conditions have to be met in order to thrive? (An orchid needs a little sunshine, but diffused is best, and some heat and humidity and a little splashing on the leaves from time to time.) What do you need? And I’m NOT talking about what another person can do for you. What do YOU need? What makes YOU happy? Daily walks in nature? Meditating? Singing at the top of your lungs in the car or shower? Driving for a long distance with a vista to FEEL free? Deep breathing to kickstart your happy hormones from your gut? (See This article for more info!) Cooking classes? Yoga? Jamming on the piano or guitar? Writing? Biking? More water? Less coffee? Less sugar? What makes you FEEL good so you can DO good? What helps YOU become, well, more YOU. You see, when you try to BE someone else or please others all the time, you lose a little of yourself. Year after year of this, you may not even know who you are. See, what my orchids tell me is that it’s imperative to create the conditions to thrive—so figuring out what those conditions are is critical and NOT selfish. If you make your life ALL about other people and what others want, well, you may end up being an orchid in a dark room, dry and without the ability to bloom.
SECOND: Reinvention and change can have surprising, exciting results. First, we have to try to find the right spot for ourselves. And it can take more than one attempt…I so get that! ha ha! The first chakra is all about this. Muladhara is the root chakra. We have to feel rooted, secure, in the right soil, with the right conditions, i.e. family, with the right support, friends we trust and who accept us, with the right positive tribe, etc. to be able to feel confident enough to thrive, grow, reach upwards and keep striving for our goals and dreams. (All my yoga classes this week were on this topic.) This amaryllis bulb was placed in my dining room near the glass doors after Christmas 2014, as I read it needed a lot of light to re-bloom. For a year it didn’t bloom. A few months ago, I planted it underneath my potted tree outback thinking, well, maybe diffused light is better? AND it was! How wonderful that the week I am traveling to a new place to write, I get this send off! Maybe my new surroundings will spark some exciting growth for me? … (And you’ll notice that my plumeria and a sprig from something I don’t even know its name, is also beginning to bloom.)
What can you change up to inspire some growth? Maybe it’s something as simple as getting a new vista. Walking in a different direction. Taking the stairs at work. Driving a different route. Saying yes to a new experience or a new friend. Setting a boundary when something or some one doesn’t feel right. Maybe you need to speak your truth and walk away from something or someone that hurts. Sometimes I have to experiment to find out what works for me, what feels right to me and where I can thrive. This I know for sure: When I focus on doing what ‘seems good’ to others, or when I ‘think’ myself into a relationship instead of ‘feeling’ my way, I don’t honor myself because I don’t know myself and I put others first, yet again.
I can’t thrive in those situations. I land in a place where I just don’t feel rooted, or where I can establish roots and grow.
These are just some lessons from the beautiful flowers in my home. There is a deep richness and infinite knowledge in them that I’m reminded of everyday.
Have a beautiful week! Take a few moments to embrace your infinite light. Embrace your potential! Make a short list of five to 10 things you need to thrive and foster the growth of your awesome self. There’s no one like you. And that’s amazing.
Love & Light,
Laura xo
