PATIENCE, PASSION & PERSISTENCE

My good friend had a beautiful baby girl. I was so excited to see them. I bought gifts and instead of flowers, a plant, in a beautifully designed pot. It’s something my friend Tom thought me. Plants lasts for years compared to flowers. But not this one. You see, I forgot my plant in the trunk of my car overnight. Nights are still cold, and my plant got frozen. When I got this beautifully wrapped plant out of the trunk, I saw frost on it. Still, somewhere inside I had hope that it will survive. When I took the wrapping off, the plant was literally melted leaving me hugely disappointed. “Throw it out, it’s not worth a hassle.” Was my first thought. It’s the easy way out – “out of site out of mind”. 

But I really like the pot and still inside I had that nudging that this in not the end. So, I gave it a chance. I started watering the very ugly, hardly recognizable, sluggish plant. For days nothing was happening. I thought this plant needed more sun, so I changed its spot and continued watering and “loving on it”. At the beginning I was excited, then after a while I just performed the necessary tasks. I lost truck of time. I kept going until one day I saw green strong and healthy leaves popping through! I celebrated it. I knew it would get stronger and grow and be what it was designed to be- a beautiful decoration, to clean the air and be pleasant to the eye. 

I’ve realized that it’s perfect analogy for my life at this moment.  Lots of changes because of covid-19. I always put my family first and invest in them to thrive. Putting myself to “back burner”, lots of my planned events got canceled and I chose not to be a priority anymore. I got discouraged trying to rethink my approach not seeing results right away. My health and attitude suffered.  And instead of persevering I procrastinated and got “busy”. Still this awareness brought clarity- something wrong. I felt something brewing inside, it’s not discontent, it’s a desire to be more, to strive for more… a little spark of hope. 

Why had this plant survived? Because I had patience and persistence. I didn’t give up or avoid repetitive tasks. I had discipline. A few years ago, I would say that I hate discipline and schedule. By becoming a parent I’ve realized it’s a building block of firm foundation. I love discipline in my house, it helps me to have order. Order helps me to stay sane. Order helps our kids to learn boundaries. It’s easier for me here, because it’s a necessity, my obligation and my duty to release into the world decent human beings, and it pleases me.  

I’ve realized I am one of those people that you cannot force discipline onto. Through coaching I’ve learned that my WHY is not clear at all. That’s why everything seems like a chore. I re-evaluated and understand why completing certain tasks are necessary. It is important to create tasks which will “move the needle” bringing me closer to my goal. And create momentum inspiring me to persevere and drive the motivation.  I will make changes and will move forward because my end goal is to learn and to grow and to be the best self God created me to be. I will invest in myself patience, passion & persistence.