Dare to Blossom: Lessons from a Tree Bud
"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin
As we hover on the eve of spring, tired of the chilled air and praying for warmer weather to come quickly, this quote by author Anais Nin is timely. Like the bud of a flower or shrub or tree - or the birth of a baby - a time will come for us when the difficulty of holding tightly on to something will force us to take a risk, to make a change, to dare to blossom.
What in your life is waiting to bloom? Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing, but can’t seem to find the courage to actually do it? Are you afraid of what others will say or think? Of taking a financial risk? Or maybe what you’re really afraid of is failure.
We only have one life to live. We have to decide what to prioritize and what to let go. When we get to the end and we look back, will we be satisfied with the choices we made? If the answer is no, then now is the time to make a change. Now is the time to take the plunge.
Nin’s quote reminds us to take inspiration from the world around us. To be born is a risky thing. Not only is birth itself a painful process, entering an unknown world is scary. What will you encounter? Will you find love? Acceptance? Success? Or will you find something else? We all know that life has no guarantees, but the fear of what we might find cannot be the reason we don’t attempt the journey. Would you rather sit still, not moving, waiting for what might come or would you rather choose the path you take to discover what wonders await?
Nin suggests that there will be a moment when sitting still is too painful and you are forced to move. That regardless of the great unknown before you, you cannot stay where you are. Just like a baby being born or a bud that blooms, you will burst forth, because things just cannot stay the same.
When the time comes, you need not be fearful. Like the bud or the baby, you are built to blossom, to be born. You have what you need already inside of you. You are equipped for the journey. Yes, you might need a little light, a little water, and some fertile ground along the way, but you have already been given the tools to take those things - the light, the water, and the fertile ground - and to turn them into something amazingly beautiful. You were made for this.
So gather your courage, take a deep breath, and go for it. You will never know what is on the other side until you take the risk. Dare to do it. Dare to blossom.
Gift Trees from our Just Because and Inspirational Gifts categories
