One of the best parts about springtime in Arizona is watching the desert come to life with beautiful colors and blooms. In particular, the rich diversity of cacti always seem to be a hit with locals and tourists alike. As we transition into springtime there are a couple of powerful leadership lessons that the blooming of the cacti have to share that can help you bloom into a new level of leadership in your life.
Lesson 1: Cacti store water all year long in order to bloom in the springtime.
In today’s busy world people often think they can just go, go, go, and that only through being busy are they capable of achieving meaningful progress. What we love about the cacti is that they are a gentle reminder of a simpler, and healthier way to bloom. Your ability to develop as a leader does not need to come as the result of constantly flirting with major burnout. Instead, make the conscious effort to invest in your wellbeing all year long. You’ll find that this will help develop life-giving habits and nourishing a sense of resiliency that will give you the strength and energy to live your purpose no matter what is going on in your life. Take stock of your routines this spring:
- What are you doing that feeds your soul?
- How often are you doing it?
- What are you doing that doesn’t feed your soul?
- Why are you doing those things?
- What lengths do you need to go to in order to change those things for the better?
Lesson 2: Cacti don’t all bloom at the same time.
Cacti is that they remind us that it’s ok to be on your own timeline. Some cacti start blooming in April, while Prickly Pear’s specifically usually bloom in May, followed by the Saguaros in June. This reality is so true in our own lives, but we often get so busy trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing that we lose track of the path we’re supposed to be on and the purpose we are supposed to be living. Everyone’s abilities are different, everyone’s life circumstance is different, but like the cacti, we are all capable of blooming in the right environment and on the right timeline. It is absolutely fine to work hard for the things you want, but don’t get so caught up in self-imposed deadlines that you think you have failed to achieve something simply because it didn’t happen exactly when you wanted it to. Good things take time and as long as you are living out your purpose our team at U & Improved knows you will bloom when the timing is right!