I like to ask people, “What was the best advice you have ever received?”
Recently, my friend John Carpenter said he was going up the chair lift in Breckenridge Colorado with a friend. He had a new job opportunity and did not know what to do. His friend told a simple story about gardening. Sometimes you pot a plant, water it and fertilize it. It can get everything it needs, but it won’t thrive until it’s repotted.
There is an old saying, “Bloom where you are planted,”. That is good advice to do well and succeed where we are. But there’s equal wisdom in the idea of repotting ourselves where we can best bloom.
It’s the intentional act of seeking out a new environment that nourishes your life so that you can grow deeper, more robust roots and live more dynamically, more courageously, and purposefully. John decided to make the change and it was the right decision. The idea of repotting himself really resonated with him. It was the right time and he thrived.
My mom was a master gardener. She was a genius with geraniums and jade tree plants. She used to say there are two kinds of gardeners – those who repot too soon, and those who almost never repot. Timing is essential.
Repotting does not have to big a big career change like John’s situation. Maybe you are stuck in some area of life. It could be a new living situation or a relationship. What is it for you? Take a look.
Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”
You might need a new perspective to see the situation more clearly. It could be a weekend away, perhaps even a sabbatical or you need coaching.
There isn’t a right or wrong way to repot. As pots go, no one-size fits all. Repotting is not about finding the prettiest pot; it’s about finding the best soil, the best light, and an environment that fits your needs. Repotting creates room for new growth.