Bloom Where Planted

Today I came upon these tiny, tiny flowers. They seem so fragile, but they survive. They grow mixed in with the grass and various weeds. No one tends them or fusses over them, and my guess is that few people even notice them at all. Yet they are beautiful.

People can be that way as well. Some people stand out among the masses. They have huge personalities and are always the center of attention. Others are so striking in appearance that they turn heads without trying. Some are gifted in skills and abilities that others live through vicariously, such as great athletes and musicians. Still others have a natural ability to lead, and others line up to follow them with little convincing at all.

To be sure, these folks are gifts to the world. We need them and we embrace them. But we miss much if we fail to see the beauty in all the rest of the human family. In our own way, we are all gifts to the world and gifts to each other. We have our unique way of being and our unique way of adding to the lives of those around us.

Many years ago my mentor gave me this advice regarding my career. I was young and full of myself and was certain about when I should be promoted and where I should be assigned. He said simply, “Bloom where you’re planted. The rest will take care of itself.” He understood what I, at the time, had yet to have enough birthdays to understand; the best life we can live is to be our best selves wherever we are at any given moment.

Like these little flowers, I can bloom where I am. My surroundings don’t have to determine the beauty of my life. I can love, wherever I am. I can be kind and respectful, wherever I am. I can be grateful and humble, wherever I am. And I can add to the beauty people experience in their own lives, even if my contribution is small and hardly noticed. I can bloom where I am planted.

Peace.