Bloom Where You Are Planted?

Bloom Where You Are Planted--

We have all heard this imperative sentence many times.  We might even have spoken those words to someone or perhaps to ourselves.

Well, I am not a fan of that sentence.  I think it has holes in it.  Too easy to say and too difficult to accomplish.

Would a lovely green fern grow and flourish in the hot desert sun?  Would a daffodil blossom above the tree line on a snow covered mountain?  I could add many more examples of how it is not always possible to bloom where you are planted.

What about a person?  Does where one is planted impact life?  Is it possible to reach full potential when the "planted place" is not the desired location?

For some folks adaptability is like a second skin.  Put them in the frozen tundra, and they will learn to hunt and fish for food.  Or put them in the desert, and they will get excited about learning how to find the watering holes.  Each new "planted place" brings a sense of adventure and wonder.  They have a willing spirit to see what is out there even when it might not be their first choice.  I envy those people.

Then there are others who need specific things to feel alive.  It might be a snow covered mountain or a rushing stream filled with trout.  It might be a warm beach with miles of white sand waiting to have their footprints pressed into it.  It might be a city alive with life, concrete and noise.

Placing a city person on a secluded mountain side would not be in their best interest.  Sure, they could bloom.  They could adapt.  But there would be such real joy if they had the opportunity to return to their beloved city.  You see, while we can all adapt, we all know what makes us shine.  What makes us alive.  What makes us happy.

Blooming means all the elements must be right.  If frost comes when flowers are ready to blossom, those tender flowers will die.  The plant will not die.  But the beauty it produces will be stunted, and that blossom will be lost.  It will be another year before that blossom has the opportunity to show itself.

Lucky are those folks who find themselves planted in their choice location.  Does that always assure their best growth?  Maybe not.  But, chances are they will live a happier life because the elements that bring them joy are ever present.

Many of us have been asked to bloom in new locations.  Locations very unlike our ideal.  Locations that don't speak to our souls.  Locations that present new challenges.   Maybe the new bloom we produce is different.  Perhaps it appears at a different time in our lives.  It may look so different from the blossom we are used to seeing and feeling deep inside ourselves.  But, it is still a blossom.

Yes, we can bloom.  We can shine.  We can bring joy.  We can accept that our desired location is not our present location and bloom anyway.  Is it possible that someone in your location needs to know that they can bloom?  Have you experienced disappointment in your location?  Could you be that person who helps another who is struggling to find the strength to bloom?

We may not be planted in our desired location, but we can bloom.  Brightly.