Existing or Evolving?

I have a snake plant that’d been weakly existing for years.

It sat in front of a window in the kitchen, fitting snugly in the same pot for years. There was a bit of yellowness inside the green and I’d even tacked up a couple of stocks on a stake because they wanted to lean to one side. It wasn’t an eye sore, but never really thrived.

Last year, I moved to a new home and along came my plant, landing in a corner of the sunroom at the back of the house.

More vibrant color came first, then the stakes were no longer needed. And, after so long, the stalks were reaching taller. It was time for a bigger, better planter.

Since doing that this little friend has tripled in size and become the richest, most vibrant green. It makes me smile every time I walk by.

Why am I telling you this story?

Because its so easy to agree that a growing plant is a healthy, thriving one. It is putting more oxygen into our environment and filling our spaces with natural beauty. Giving it a larger space to grow in is a no-brainer. Of course we would do that.

But when growing ourselves means that we no longer ‘fit’ somewhere that we currently are, we see making that change as a bad thing. Or maybe someone else calls it a ‘crisis’.

That is because for a long time women didn’t step into their growth. Especially not at midlife. We’ve been led to believe that is the time of life to buckle down and save for retirement, told that being single at 50 would be disastrous, that expecting more for ourselves is selfish.

Of course we’re reluctant to make a big change. How could we not be?

So, we exist in the way that my tough little plant did. There, but not REALLY there. Present, functioning, but never flourishing in all that we are.

Don’t let anyone call your dream a crisis. If you feel confined or restricted, it is a sign that your spirit needs to GROW.