Be Successful Anywhere and Bloom Where You're Planted

Image Credit | Pixabay

There have been times in my life when I was sure that the situation I was in was unique. Whether it was bad or just a little uncomfortable I was able to convince myself that if I got out of that situation I could find another situation, job, class, etc. where I would be happy. If only I could quit this job and start a new job, all of the problems that I had would go away and I would have the perfect job. 

You've heard the phrase the grass is not always greener on the other side. It means that while you may be looking from afar and perceive that another situation is better, you may find that upon closer inspection the other situation is just as bad or worse. Rather than find that the other lawn is green and lush you find that from across the street it looked great, but up close you can see that much of the lawn is covered in weeds and clover and there are some bare patches that you couldn't see from the angle you were looking at. In fact, this lawn may be worse.

I have left jobs in my career that I was unhappy with and gone to a new job, where I was sure I would be happier only to find the new job was worse. I've changed organizations many times throughout my career and one thing has remained consistent... every organization has its opportunities. No matter where I've worked there have been challenges in getting things done and challenges in being completely happy. I suspect, that even if I had the power to redesign a company to my exact specifications, I would still overlook things that might come to frustrate me about the position.

So is it all just doom and gloom? Are we doomed to find that job after job is unsatisfying and frustrating? No not at all! The good news is that many jobs can be very satisfying. There is a mindset that is different for the people that enjoy what they do and you can learn to think that way too! You must bloom where you are planted.

Understand Where You Are

A potted plant, even the most beautiful flower, must grow from a pot of dirt. From this filthy pile of dirt, filled with bugs, microbes, other dirty things, etc. can grow a beautiful flower. What at first looks like something disgusting to be avoided, upon deeper inspection contains everything necessary to grow a strong and beautiful plant. Starting small and accelerating towards maturity the plant uses all of its available resources to reach toward the sunlight.

In life and work, you must first understand where you are. Yes, there are challenges and things that annoy you, but what do you have around you that you can use? Are you in a place where you have potential mentors, lessons to learn, challenges to overcome, or classes to take? Are there things that you can use to further develop yourself? Can you grow from a metaphorical pot of dirt and develop towards something more than you are?  Yes, you can. 

Tend Your Garden

If you've ever gardened or done landscaping you know that it is not as simple as dropping a seed into dirty. There are several things you must do at the beginning and then over time to maintain and shepherd the plants to maturity. From the first seed, you till the earth and fill it with water. As time goes you you must protect it from predators that would eat the plant. If you find rocks or weeds in your garden you must pull them out so that they don't smother the plant and prevent it from getting sunlight. You also need to feed the plant and keep it watered regularly so it can grow continuously and not go dormant.

In your life, you must do these same things. You must start from an honest base, where you've got the right attitude to move forward successfully. As time goes on, you will encounter people that want to take advantage of you. Predators that want to steal your time and put you to work for their own resources that you must learn to tell no. You will have negative toxic people in your life that block you from achieving your best results and best life, like the weeds and rocks in the garden, you must remove them so that you can do your best. Over time you must continue to feed and water yourself through ongoing learning. You must continually work to improve yourself so you can live your best life and achieve your best results. 

Work Around Obstacles

The funny thing about plants is that if you plant them in a place where they don't quite get enough sun, they will work to find a way. You've seen plants that seem to grow straight up out of the ground and then take several twists and turns on their way upwards. Sometimes these plants' shapes seem to make no sense until you realize that something was in their way and they had to grow in a different direction to reach the sunlight. Once they got that sunlight there growth exploded and they grew to be big, strong, and healthy plants.

In your life, you are going to come across roadblocks and obstacles as well. it can be disheartening and frustrating when you are forced to deal with these challenges. Take them as hurdles though and jump over them. Like the plant needs more sunlight, look for a path around the challenges. Acknowledge the challenge exists, but start searching for the way that you are going to get around it and continue on towards your big goals.

Never Give Up

Sometimes a seed will find itself planted in the most ideal situation. They are in a pot of dirty, inside a greenhouse. They receive plenty of water, plenty of sunlight and they receive plenty of food. They never have to worry if someone is going to come along harm them. They have everything they need. Other times a seed finds itself wedged between two slabs or concrete. Jammed in the crack of the sidewalk, the seed starts putting down roots and finding a way to get to sunlight and water. One plant had all of the advantages and one had every disadvantage, yet both moved forward and both grew and bloomed into successful healthy plants.

In life, you may find yourself working somewhere you are not in love with. In fact, you may find yourself in situations you absolutely hate. These are the times to take the lemons you've been given and make lemonade. Look for the silver lining and find a way to be successful despite the environment you've found yourself in. There are always opportunities to be successful, always ways to move to the next step. Huge companies were born out of the depression and the great recession. Companies like Google and Zillow were born during the dot com bust and the great recession. Despite being born during times when many businesses were failing they found a way to be successful and you can too. 

I have certainly had opportunities in my career to think differently about the situations I was in and how I could make it work. Sometimes I've made it work and other times I've fled for greener pastures, only to find they had their own set of problems. What I want to hear about are your stories. Comment below or contact me and tell me your story!