This summer we have been doing a lot of gardening. It's our first full summer in a new property. Once upon a time, there had been pretty gardens here, but in recent years, they had become overgrown to the point it was tough to say what was there. So this summer we have been reclaiming those gardens, weeding, pulling out old plantings, dividing some plants, putting in large perennial gardens and a cutting garden, and mulching.
Last weekend, we installed a peace pole in the biggest garden and planted pink rose bushes around it. It looks stunning! When you transfer a huge plant from a pot into the ground, you first have to loosen and split up the root ball so the roots can breathe and receive nourishment from the new environment. This also frees the roots to begin stretching out into new territory so that they can keep growing.
As we were relaxing the root balls of the roses to plant them around the peace pole, it occurred to me that what we were doing was a wonderful allegory for the process of growth and change, whether in our individual lives, in our affiliations, or maybe in our countries. Fundamentally, our "roots" correspond with the boxes we are in. Those boxes might be relationships, belief systems, habits, perceptions, or family or organizational structures. Our roots are only able to take nourishment from the limited environment of those particular boxes and can't extend beyond their walls. Sometimes a potted plant even becomes root bound, meaning that its roots have grown very tightly to the pot and the soil has been depleted. There is nothing left to provide nourishment, so that the plant slowly dies. We, too , can become root bound, being so densely packed in a too-small container that we can't breathe or receive nourishment.
If the boxes of our lives are no longer serving us, it may be time to transplant ourselves in a new garden, or at a minimum to a bigger pot. If we want to thrive in our new environment, we need to be happy to loosen and split up our "roots" so we can grow, receive nourishment, and stretch out into a new world. This could mean stepping beyond our comfortable zone, but there comes a time where staying where we were is not an acceptable option.
Transformation needs eagerness. It needs participation in the process. Otherwise, we are forcing a change though not really inviting metamorphosis. Evolution together with sustainable growth and change, requires willingness to engage in life in new ways-new points of view, fresh ideas, and fresh approaches. Too often we create change on the outside, but we forget to loosen and split up our root balls- our continual methods of being and doing. When this happens, there could have been change on the outside, but the inside stories stay the same. There wasn't any inner growth, no transformation. At the end, we will go back to our old patterns and find our new environment tricky and challenging.
Our rapidly changing world is consistently asking us to split up our root balls and reach out into new territory; to break out of old patterns, habits, beliefs, and practices that no longer serve us and start engaging with the world in new strategies. Occasionally those "transplants" are forced on us; at other times we have the foresight to kick off the shift ourselves.
We have choice. We are able to fight against the change, leaving our root ball untouched, and cheat ourselves out of the potential nourishment and growth waiting for us in the new circumstance. Or we can loosen and break our root ball, stretch out into our new circumstance, and see what new life is there just waiting to be uncovered.
Where in your life or leadership is it now a good time to split up your root ball and discover your new garden?
Last weekend, we installed a peace pole in the biggest garden and planted pink rose bushes around it. It looks stunning! When you transfer a huge plant from a pot into the ground, you first have to loosen and split up the root ball so the roots can breathe and receive nourishment from the new environment. This also frees the roots to begin stretching out into new territory so that they can keep growing.
As we were relaxing the root balls of the roses to plant them around the peace pole, it occurred to me that what we were doing was a wonderful allegory for the process of growth and change, whether in our individual lives, in our affiliations, or maybe in our countries. Fundamentally, our "roots" correspond with the boxes we are in. Those boxes might be relationships, belief systems, habits, perceptions, or family or organizational structures. Our roots are only able to take nourishment from the limited environment of those particular boxes and can't extend beyond their walls. Sometimes a potted plant even becomes root bound, meaning that its roots have grown very tightly to the pot and the soil has been depleted. There is nothing left to provide nourishment, so that the plant slowly dies. We, too , can become root bound, being so densely packed in a too-small container that we can't breathe or receive nourishment.
If the boxes of our lives are no longer serving us, it may be time to transplant ourselves in a new garden, or at a minimum to a bigger pot. If we want to thrive in our new environment, we need to be happy to loosen and split up our "roots" so we can grow, receive nourishment, and stretch out into a new world. This could mean stepping beyond our comfortable zone, but there comes a time where staying where we were is not an acceptable option.
Transformation needs eagerness. It needs participation in the process. Otherwise, we are forcing a change though not really inviting metamorphosis. Evolution together with sustainable growth and change, requires willingness to engage in life in new ways-new points of view, fresh ideas, and fresh approaches. Too often we create change on the outside, but we forget to loosen and split up our root balls- our continual methods of being and doing. When this happens, there could have been change on the outside, but the inside stories stay the same. There wasn't any inner growth, no transformation. At the end, we will go back to our old patterns and find our new environment tricky and challenging.
Our rapidly changing world is consistently asking us to split up our root balls and reach out into new territory; to break out of old patterns, habits, beliefs, and practices that no longer serve us and start engaging with the world in new strategies. Occasionally those "transplants" are forced on us; at other times we have the foresight to kick off the shift ourselves.
We have choice. We are able to fight against the change, leaving our root ball untouched, and cheat ourselves out of the potential nourishment and growth waiting for us in the new circumstance. Or we can loosen and break our root ball, stretch out into our new circumstance, and see what new life is there just waiting to be uncovered.
Where in your life or leadership is it now a good time to split up your root ball and discover your new garden?
About the Author:
Alan Seale offers transformational leadership training and coaching. If you have a dream that will not let go find out more about his spiritual coach training approach.
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