Plant The Damn Seed

As I sit out here in my garden, one of the morning rituals I like to incorporate once it starts to warm up in April, I realize just how impatient I am as a relatively new gardener. All of March, I would come out and look at the numerous bare patches of soil wishing I would’ve planted something, anything, earlier. I’m always feeling behind as a gardener and if you read any forums, it seems like some many others feel the same. 

I notice the same feeling in marketing, business, and life in general. We are all wishing we had planted the damn seeds earlier when we see others basking in success while you’re still struggling. 

What we forget to see is the foreplanning, hardwork and discipline that went into that level of success. 

Some seeds sprout in as little as 1 week while some, like avocados, take nearly 2 months! Can you imagine going out to water bare soil for 2 months without even some form of confirmation from a tiny sprout of a seedling?

I remember going to a friend’s garden during February or March and seeing these huge onions with bulbs starting to form and looking so healthy! I’d just started some seeds of my own in January and they were off to a good start but nowhere near bulbing. Of course I had to ask her about them and she laughed, mentioning that those particular Onions were seeded back in October of the last year!

That’s the beauty of gardening. It’s one big experiment and each time you plant a seed you never know if it will thrive, die, get eaten, become your favorite thing. You just have to keep showing up to nurture it, make adjustments and trust the process along the way. 

The one thing you realize is that planting the seed may have been the catalyst to much bigger rewards than the actual harvest. I didn’t choose to come sit out in the garden and write because of the veggies I plan to pick. It's for the sun on my face, the quiet calm of  being in nature, the blooming flowers, and the overall environment I’ve created during the winter months. 

Just like success, we all sprout at different times so be sure not to compare your Year 1 to someone else’s Year 10.  

So the next time you’re worried about getting started, remember to just plant the damn seed and focus on the watering, not the harvest. Show up ready to learn from the journey and let the chips fall where they may. Now get out there and Unleash Your Something Amazing!

Stay Fierce,

Ashlee