As summer ends and Autumn begins, I watch the gardeners in my neighborhood and friends and family online changing out their flowers and plants as seasons change. The plants change, but the one thing that remains the same is the happiness and joy plants appear to bring to people. I wouldn’t be described as someone with a green thumb who excels with growing plants. Never have been. There are a few brave plants that made it through with me and survived, but not many. Daddy always told stories about how my Granny Smith used to sing to her plants and talk to them all day long. He believed that’s why Granny’s plants always did so well. I do love to tell stories and talk, but singing is not a skill of mine. I talk to the plants, but don’t sing. Perhaps I should try playing music for them after my talks to see if that works any better. All joking aside, having plants or engaging with plants and gardens brings me peace and happiness that is needed more and more in these troubling times.
And if you can’t grow plants in your garden or indoors, there’s always an opportunity to find a public park or garden and enjoy interacting with the plants there. I notice every time I go out to a garden or park amongst the plants, I feel an increased sense of ease, peace, and happiness. It doesn’t take away the problems of the world and my personal challenges, but it provides me with the clarity, happiness, and focus I need to go back out into the world and conquer my fears, overcome my challenges, and achieve my life and professional goals.
In addition to engaging with plants for your own happiness, you can plant a little happiness for others by helping and encouraging them to engage with plants and nature for managing stress, frustration etc. in life and provide them with the respite and inspiration needed to continue in their journey towards life and professional goals.
This is a simple story for today. Consider how planting a little happiness, engaging with plants and nature yourself, has helped you in managing your stress and challenges while working towards goals. How may you increase your engagement with plants and nature to continue those positive benefits in your journey? How might you plant a little happiness for others around you to help them achieve the same benefits of engaging with plants and nature more often?
We all could benefit from planting a little bit of happiness in today’s troubled world, not only for ourselves but for others too. Reflect on your own stories for planting a little happiness and how you can do it more to empower yourself and others, because as always Your Story Matters.
