Seasons Change

How do you know you’re getting ready for change?  You start to feel an increased sense of dissatisfaction with your performance, with your environment, and with your interactions with others.  You are looking for something, but aren’t sure just what it is. You feel irritable, but can’t place your finger on why. It’s change. And it’s a good thing – really!

In nature, seasons change with buds blooming, withering, dying and blooming all over again and again. In life, seasons change in the same way.  There are times of growth and vibrance, times that wane into quiet yearning, and times that burst into abundance. This is the process of health change. But we sabotage this process with fear, apathy, isolation, and other negative, self-limiting beliefs.  Trying to avoid this transitory process of change by living in the shadows and ignoring the tug at your heart is the
surest way to kill your joy and stall your growth.

A small rose bush grows at the edge of the yard, budding in spite of neglect.  It was planted in a shady spot instead of a place where the warmth of the sun can feed it nutrients. It wasn’t pruned so dying limbs and rangy branches suck the life that could be feeding the buds waiting to bloom. The dozen tiny rosebuds and tender leaves will probably be chewed up by insects if it is not treated for aphids and beetles.  It is a pretty little bush – but what could it be if it were tended correctly?

You are a beautiful gift to the world. Have you cultivated and tended your strengths and talents?  Don’t be satisfied with tiny successes or afraid of change as it cycles by.  Recognize the seasons as they pass and tend to your life and business accordingly.  You will enjoy an abundance of good things if you do!

The Cycle of Abundance

[Excerpted from Your Belief Quotient: 7 Beliefs that Sabotage or Support Your Success]

Abundance is the belief that there is more than enough. In an abundant universe, you have plenty of time, money, health, energy and wisdom. Abundance is the knowledge that you can give it all away and there will still be enough for yourself. Abundance expands with heartfelt gratitude and humility.  At its core, an abundance mentality springs from a healthy sense of personal worth and builds on one’s personal and spiritual values.  Dr. Stephen Covey coined the phrase “abundance mindset” in his best-seller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. According to Covey, an abundance mentality is “a paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody.”1

Nature gives us wonderful examples of abundance, particularly in the growth cycle of trees and flowers. After a period of dormancy, a fruit tree bursts into blooms and is covered in an abundance of flowers. Wind and rain might buffet the tree and destroy many of the flowers. An average of 75% of the flowers will fall, but those buds remaining will eventually grow into fruit. A fruit tree is not designed to have every flower pollinate and grow into fruit. The tree does not have the resources to sustain every flower. The larger and stronger the tree’s branches and internal supports, the greater the capacity it will have to bear more fruit.  Once the tree bears fruit, every piece of fruit contains seeds, and every seed contains an incalculable number of trees and fruit.  This is abundance!

Leif Nilsson Studios

This illustration fits the human experience of abundance well. We also go through periods of dormancy. These periods are times of quiet growth and strengthening. During dormancy, a fruit tree rests and its sap slows. It is the perfect time to prune away dead branches and treat any disease.  As humans, we need time to pull back and reflect on what needs pruned away. We need time to heal and refresh. The end of dormancy comes after the tree has been exposed to chilling temperatures and the weather begins to warm. People awaken and grow as they warm up to new ideas and opportunities. Tree growth during the spring is dependent upon the quality and quantity of sunlight, water, and soil. Our growth as individuals is equally dependent on how we feed ourselves: body, mind and spirit. Abundance requires preparation. Once those flowers begin to emerge from the branches, only the most resilient survive to become fruit. The initial beauty of the petals fall away as the fruit emerges and ripens. The intoxicating sweetness of fully matured fruit arrives after being warmed by the summer sunlight.  Wind, rain, and heat are metaphors for the challenges we must face to grow and be prepared for abundance.  Once we begin to bear fruit in our lives, we witness firsthand the ever expanding cycle of abundance.

I go into the detail of the growth cycle of fruit trees for a purpose:  Abundance does not magically appear.  There are myths circulating that we can engage in wishful thinking and expect abundance to appear.  This is simply not true.  That is not to say that abundance, when it occurs is not surprising.  Manifesting abundance can seem magical, but it is always the result of a cycle of preparation. It is my intention to help you understand how to be ready to receive abundance in your life. Your beliefs about abundance are crucial to your success in life and business.