Bite sized wisdom: utilizing time and tools for success

Spring is upon us and the magic of life is everywhere. Everything and everyone is craving a fresh new start.

Birds are chirping for company. Green buds are blooming into vibrant flowers.

With the sun above, and the rains moistening our soil, we roll our sleeves and head out to the garden.

We begin to rake the soil. Running blades through the ground and awakening what was once dormant. Preparing the garden beds for a new season of yielding fruits.

The process takes time, but with the right vision and motivation, patience becomes a worthwhile feat. Taking time helps us observe and review all facts. It helps us adjust and reevaluate our methods.
Step by step, little by little, our seeds grow. And though initially it is hard to look at a small seed and see it’s final state as a lemon or a strawberry,knowing that if both parties put in their effort, then in time fruits of labor will rest on the palm of your hand.

In our everyday life, where the whole world is rushing after dreams, taking a minute for reflection feels unnatural. It may even feel like time is being wasted. The reality is – we will always fail with unfamiliar challenges and situations if we don’t study them and search within us for the tools to overcome them.

Any goal that you want to accomplish, whether in the garden, in the gym or in your personal life will require your patience. It will require your commitment, time for observation, and tools to help realize your goals. With all three, nothing is out of reach.

Wishing you all a bit more patience as you wait for your gardens to bloom.

Happy spring!
Hokuma

Bite sized wisdom: keep the garden growing

Dear Friends,

The heart of summer is already behind us and August is here, bringing us closer to a change in season and weather.

My garden, which started out small and green, has grown, bore fruit and is now withering away in the heat.

I am guilty of not giving it enough attention, or adapting quickly to the hot weather by increasing the portions of water I share with my green friends. But, everything in life is a lesson and the biggest trick is to learn from what comes our way.

Here are three life lessons my humble garden taught me in the past few days:

1. Lost fruits of love

My favorite plant in the garden was the strawberry bush. It always bore sweet red fruits for me to indulge in. When life became busy, the weather got hotter and my attention span shorter I forgot to water the plant more. Slowly the leaves turned brown and the red fruits, still waiting on the branches to be picked, simply dried up. The plant had no incentive to keep flowering as what it was offering was no longer appreciated, so it withered away. In life we have a lot of moments and sources of positivity that we take for granted. Then, one day that source decides not to supply us with any more gifts of love, but it is too late to turn back time and the only choice we have is to wait for another chance to treat it better. Next summer I plan to be wiser and more loving with my strawberry bush and the rest of the plants in the garden.

2. Go towards opportunity

While the more fragile plants were lost in the heat of the summer, other plants took the opportunity to bask in the sun and grow stronger. My other lovely plant, which gives me round cherry tomatoes to snack on is still green and sharing its treasures with me. When looking at the brown hues of my once green garden, this red fruit is a sign of hope and potential and so I don’t get sad. Instead of worrying about the state of the garden at the moment, I’m focusing on the powerful message that this “insignificant” tomato is sending me – ‘everything’s gonna be alright’. And that’s the case with life, no matter how bad things may be for you now, if you simply focus your attention on the good and the possibility of tomorrow then you’ll be happier and will still get to enjoy red fruits, even if they’re of a different kind.

3. Start planning for tomorrow today

One thing I learned this summer is that weather and time move quickly. If we are not prepared for the upcoming seasons and the changes they bring we are unable to address the challenges and take care of what we want to protect. So in the next few weeks I will be cleaning out my garden and planning what to plant next for the cooler weather. Luckily the list is long and I’ve got a lot to pick from, including onions, squash, carrots and so much more. To enjoy all of them, though, I need to prepare my garden and my self today. After all, what you reap you sow, and it’s never too early to plan for things you’re excited about!

Nature inspires me, motivates me, feeds me and nourishes my soul. My little garden is just a tiny shadow of what the world around us holds and all the wisdom it can share with us. The trick is to simply slow down, listen and pay attention to the lessons.

I hope these bite sized wisdom posts are helping you as much as they are helping me.

Happy living to all!
Hokuma

Bite sized wisdom: The Garden Edition

Hello there!

Have you ever tried gardening? I haven’t, but my desire to turn a grey deck into a green paradise meant that I had to learn. With a few trips to a local Home Depot, I had several pots of plants adorning my balcony.

Thanks to a bit of love, lots of sunshine and few occasional rain showers, signs of green started showing. Small seeds burst open, new sprouts grew upwards crowning themselves with flowers, until crowns got heavier and bore fruit. Thanks to the variety of plants, I learned the struggle of each one and realized they all had a different path to follow.

The few weeks spent in the garden have taught me some wisdom and I’d like to share these life lessons with you.

1. “We’re all wired differently.”

In the garden I had a variety of food: tomatoes, strawberries, mint, basil, and even lavender for nice aroma.
The first to blossom were the herbs and lavender, the fruits came last. Of them, the strawberry bloomed from different sides, the flowers transforming into sweet red fruits. The tomato bloomed and bore fruit in a bunch, but it took weeks before they ripened. We all have different paths to follow. For some the journey is long, but we’ll all get there eventually.

2. “Take time, but don’t take too long.”

The first strawberry to appear on the plant was nice and large (not the store kind of large, but more of the organic type you’d expect the strawberry to be). For days it was basking in the sun, getting sweeter and more ripe. One day I had a feeling that it was time to delight in what the plant had to share. To keep the moment special I thought I’d wait to have some friends around. That evening I came home to find that a crow had gotten to the fruit first. It was disappointing, but that’s the truth. Things take time to mature, so give it time, but don’t take too long, or you’ll miss your chance.

3. “What blossoms withers, but the roots can bring it back.”

I’ve seen many flowers bloom and wither in my neighborhood. On my deck, that’s no exception. Flowers that bring color, sweetness and decorate a grey deck with life are all here for a short time. Once they’ve bloomed and bore fruit they wither away. It’s sad, but it’s the cycle of life. What’s important to remember though is that the roots of the plants are safely in the ground, and when the time comes, the flowers will bloom again. Same applies to love, friendships and everything else in life. Each has its own cycle, there are ups and downs, and even when something seems to be dying, if the bond is strong, it can withstand almost anything! Just because something seems to be ending doesn’t mean it will be gone forever.