Nature's lessons and insights that can enrich our personal and professional growth

Years ago, when I actually had a landline, my wife answered a call from a friend. When my friend asked if I was home, my wife responded "he is with his mistress". Now to be very clear, I Do Not have a mistress nor have I ever! My wife was referring to my yard. Sure, I spend a little time inspecting, mowing, planting and toiling, or as I see it, simply providing the Attention and Focus needed for growth. You see, I am a self-taught landscaper/gardener, so much so that over the years I've helped many of my neighbors outdoor environments. I enjoy doing it and to be quite honest, I find it kind of cathartic.

I've always applied observations and lessons learned in nature to those in my professional life. Growing anything, whether nurturing a garden or fostering personal and professional ambitions, demands patience, resilience, and the right amount of attention. What you put in, you get out. Growing plants isn't that difficult unless you are unwilling to provide the basic needs. Preparation of soil, light, water, food, temperature, and most importantly, Attention. There is no assurance that with all the elements achieved above that the plant will prosper, but I can say with absolute, if one of those elements are missing the plants chances for survival is grim. There is a direct correlation between preparation, attention, focus and practice in nature that corresponds with your profession. With all the elements you increase your chances of success, without one, let's just say, you make it more difficult on yourself. By staying focused on the elements you can control, growth becomes more reliable. If disaster hits, not all is lost but simply changed. The fruits of your labor aren't gone but your preparation allows a better environment for new growth to find a way.

On February 1, 2023 Austin was hit with a very hard freeze that devastated the city. The more established neighborhoods with old growth oak trees became somewhat unrecognizable in a short amount of time. The damage was extensive throughout Central Texas and beyond. My own property didn't make it unscathed. In the first image above you see my 18 year old red oak with major damage. Other plants and trees in my yard were either killed or severely damaged. One day later after the photo was taken, that same tree split in half, essentially killing it.

I spent almost two decades creating an outdoor environment that now has drastically changed. Clearly, I couldn't anticipate this uncontrollable event. Even if I could, there was nothing I could do about it, but that's sort of the point. The events in life that I can't control aren't worth my time or something that I can worry about. My past preparations and attention hopefully sowed the seeds for something new. Moving forward is the only option and it takes energy, lots of it. The ability to bottle that energy and utilize it effectively is key. Jameil ‘Jay’ Pendleton™ you know what I am talking about!

The second image offers a glimpse of natures ability to respond in the right conditions. In almost the exact spot where I had to remove my red oak, new growth has arrived. Green shoots emerge, showing the resilience of nature and its ability to adapt and thrive. Now, this new growth isn't in the form of a new red oak, I removed stump and all. But, new growth from an adjoining Crepe Myrtle 15 feet away. Although I lost something that I'd nurtured for many years, new growth, albeit different, wouldn't be happening at all if not for my past and present attention and focus. Again, what you put in you get out. This transformation serves as a powerful metaphor for our own capacity for growth and reinvention.

In our personal and professional lives, setbacks and challenges are inevitable. But like the tree, we must embrace these moments not as finalities, but as opportunities. By staying focused on inner strength, cultivating new skills, and embracing change with an open mind, we can emerge from apparent adversity with renewed vigor and purpose. Focus and attention on your own elements similar to natures can and will ensure your own growth. Preparation and plans, focus and attention, are foundational cornerstones that will always prepare you to grow in the direction you are meant to grow.

So, just like in nature, growth is not a linear path, but a continuous process of adaptation, perseverance, and the unwavering belief in our ability to flourish. Of course, none of that happens, if you aren't continuing to build upon the foundation you probably started building years ago.