How did you plant the seeds to your ambition? Ever thought about it?
This is something that I like to call “free writing”. What I mean by this is when you find yourself looking at something in deep contemplation and relating it to a memory. I do this often and find myself writing down the words as I get deeper in my thinking. Maybe I’m just over analytical? or maybe I just see the beauty and inspiration in the weirdest of things. Either way… I always try to keep it positive.
Do you know what this is? It’s Aloe Vera in its most natural form. It’s a wonder plant. Known across the world for its natural healing properties and health benefits. It was never bought like this. No no, it was gifted to my Mother by her cousin (we are from Indian descent, our family ties are all pretty close) as a young baby plant sprouting it’s little arms, reaching out to get bigger and better with nurture and time.
I found myself staring over at this plant while I worked on some freelance editing. I freelance a lot as a gap filler when my own work is quiet. My rebranded business is still fairly new so my own bookings are slowly picking up. Although I love the physical photographic side of the business, the other mundane tasks, like editing thousands of photographs, can become a little tiring and time consuming. So I found myself gazing at this beautifully strange plant and thinking “how on did you become so big!”
I looked over at my mom and asked “When did you get that Aloe Vera plant mom?”
She simply replied “3 years ago, it was given to me as a gift. It was just a baby plant with 5 or 6 little stems in a little pot no bigger than your average coffee tin”.
Aloe Vera never really dies. With the right care it just gets bigger and bolder. You can cut of an individual stem and refrigerate it for days, weeks and use it on your skin, in food, in drinks.
I asked my mom how she looked after it and she said “I kept it indoors mostly. Without fail, every 2 to 3 weeks, I watered it for 3 years. I kept it warm in the winter, and gave it fresh air with a few days outside in spring, summer. I can’t believe how big its gotten now. It’s going to need another pot soon!”
It was at this point my thoughts turned to my business. In my bored, demotivated state of mind, while I sat editing my freelance work, the thought of how far this plant had come along the way inspired me. Something as simple as nurturing this baby Aloe Vera plant and seeing its growth over the years made me think about where my business is going! Deeeeep huh? With time, with nurture, with consistency and continuity there is no limit to where you can take your ambition. There is no real boundaries if you allow yourself to work hard, take an action every day toward achieving that bigger goal you dream of. Businesses, like plants, need the right time, the right nurture, the right attention to grow and become a greater existence. Much like personal goals, relationships, careers.
Here’s a photo of how big the Aloe Vera plant is now. I had the assistance of my wonderful 6 year old nephew to show just how big the the plant is now in comparison to him.
Moral of the story… Plant the seeds to your ambition now. Be patient, be nurturing, be consistent, expect it to take time, but never stop those small steps to your reach your bigger growth.
Keep watering your seeds all,
Priya x
