Flowers ain't always bloomin'



That’s me at Donna Maria’s #IndieBusinessBrunch this weekend.  It was revolutionary!

Totally organic, it was scheduled to be a 2-hour chat & brunch and it turned into an epic 6-hour feast of over 100 years of collective business & entrepreneurial legacy!

Sometimes I do not usually attend ‘networking’ type gatherings because I ‘feel’ I would have little to contribute.  But brunch?  Of course!

There’s difficulty of embracing a time span to reflect on what gains are being realized when there is so much on the to-do list.  Nevertheless, this collection of seasoned go-getters initiated an outpouring of some things I’ve come to know for sure.

About career paths.  And entrepreneurship.  About thriving.

Flowers ain’t always bloomin’

I look for analogies in things, particularly in farming & agriculture.

One of the things I love about our name, Dirty Beauty, is that what is seemingly opposite is actually the same sometimes.

Dirt, or soil, is the catalyst for the beautiful flowers we behold, the delicious healthy foods we eat, the nutrient dense padding for landscapes we enjoy.

The Potter’s hands get dirty molding epic works of clay, the Artist’s smock, the Chef’s apron, the Farmer’s coveralls, the Beautician’s gloves, the Builder’s construction site.  They all get dirty en route to beautiful work.

As Entrepreneurs, as purpose-seekers, as change-agents, it’s easy to be affected by the range of climate we can experience on a daily, weekly and seasonal basis.  Seeking beautiful results but getting dirty.

My experience-sharing at our super-Brunch is really about the reality of Beauty.

Beauty is stage-dependent.

We often refer to a baby as beautiful, a toddler as cute, a teen as pretty, twenty-something as gorgeous, that forty-ish is glamorous, that 90’s+ is stunning.

All of these stages ‘look’ very different.  But the beauty is about the magic that is happening at the steps in the cycle.

Like a flower.

SEED
As a seed, the flower is invisible to above ground life.  Just one step forward from an idea.  It’s a plan.  It’s small.  It’s dependent on the surrounding soil to help stabilize it and feed its growth.  The network of earthworms are providing aeration.  

The sun is providing warmth and the rain, water.  It’s dark and lonely-feeling but not alone.  There’s beauty in this stage 1.  A purity.  

The flower must remain resolute.  And embrace the elements pounding on its existence knowing it’s necessary for its thriving.

BUDDING
This is plan-in-action time!  Pushing through the ground upward!  Finally seeing some results for its diligence and tenacity!  Being seen above ground and seeing above ground.  Progress!  

This stage has beauty too!  Green condensed leaves contrasting against the richness of the earth-colored soil!

STEMS
More growth.  Stems provide structure to the flower.  And stability.  And a system for continued nourishment to the impending bloom!  

There’s still sun & rain & a vital connection to the earth here.  

Still under the environment of the elements, yet able to stand firm and grow.  A tall proud upright posture, success is near and certain!

BLOOMING
This is the stage that we speak of when we think of a flower.  It’s majestic.  

By this stage, the flower knows it’s unique and shows its uniqueness proudly.  It’s unapologetic.  It’s loud, quietly.  Its form is perfect authentically.  

It doesn’t mind being commonly connected to the network of the earth and its others.  It thrives on this network!  

It knows that sun and rain and wind makes it stronger and more vibrant!  It loves routine too and knows patterns of activity are part of the process to greatness!  

It sees other forms and stands with them!

MULTIPLICATION
Here’s the beauty we speak of.  The perfume, the color.  It now partners with the wind to carry its scent to bees for pollination.  To share with the world what it has learned about its journey ‘til now.  

Its colors are bold at every hue.  Vibrant to be seen.  Proud of its withstanding while still being rained upon.  

Still enduring the scorch of the sun.  It holds the rainwater and showcases sunlight on its petals.  Giving respect to the process elements responsible for its being and holding them in high esteem.  It attracts what it needs by being authentic and bold and big and saying ‘I’M HERE!’  

It makes itself visible and creates a field of others over a span of many seasons.  An infinite number.  An abundance of beauty that gives the earth song!

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