In the dry Sacramento Valley nothing seems to grow in our yard except for succulents and dessert plants. I’m okay with that. They remind me of home, of my mom. But that’s beside the point.

Today, I finally got the inclination to work with some of our outdoor succulents that needed some tender loving care. I avoided this, not because I didn’t care, but because I knew it would take a good amount of time to do what needed to be done. I don’t claim to have a green thumb but I could clearly see that they needed some attention and the time was right. Specifically, our big mamma Aloe plant had sprouted babies ❤ She’s the queen of the fam!

So, what was happening is that they were overgrowing their pots (lovely pots that I had picked out when they were new to the fam). And now, I went from house to the garage and back I bear witness to the changes and indication that they needed new pots. Some plants were flopping over because they had gotten so big or heavy. Others, were fading in color and others, sadly, stopped growing. This makes me sad, because I had neglected to care of them in time.

For the good part of the morning I worked to lovingly transplant the queen, and others in the fam, to a larger pots with much more room. I put her babies in their own little pots, saying a prayer that they grow so I can gift them away. I added new soil, watered them, patted them in just right and talked to them. I nurtured them the best way I knew how, again, I don’t claim to have a green thumb.

This morning really had me thinking about us human beings, how we can outgrow our “pots” i.e. environments- work environments, relationships, cities, situations, etc. And no matter how beautiful, pretty, or perfect it looks on the outside the fact of the matter is that the “pot” is TOO SMALL FOR YOU and NO LONGER NURTURING YOU. The current “pot” is not optimal growing conditions. Even if you get “water” and “sun,” you can only grow so much.

Do you get what I am saying?!…

Are you feeling heavy, floppy, or dull?

Have you faded in color, energy level, and enthusiasm?

Do you feel like you have stopped growing?

Are you staying in place, relationship, situation because it’s what someone else picked for you or it’s what you “should” do?

Today, might be a good time to take an honest look at what environments you are “planted” in. It’s not easy. Just like my plants, I avoided looking at certain environments and people (for a long while). But when I did I could no longer ignore what my body, mind and spirit knew.

Recently, after 10 years and during a pandemic I switched jobs. Maybe today’s blog post was a projection of what it felt like when I knew it was time and place to move. Many people were surprised, because from the outside it looked like it was “perfect” or ideal. Where I was at was what I wanted for a long time, until it was time to move and I was no longer growing.

It’s been a while since I blogged, but I wanted to share this because I know there is a world full of people that are playing small. People who have greater gifts, talents, and purposes then their current environment. And maybe it’s not that the current place is too small, maybes it’s that YOUR PURPOSE TOO BIG! Get after it beautiful people…SHINE, GROW AND BE FULL OF COURAGE!

-Dr. P