Recently I attended a multi-day Superfood Garden Summit where I learned a few things about growing your own food. For the record, I am a newbie when it comes to planting and have never done anything related to farming.

One thing the host said that stuck with me is, “Plants want to grow and will grow. How they grow depends on what type of relationship you want to have with them.” A plant’s growth also depends on the types of plants surrounding it. I’ve found both to be true after experimenting with planting seeds and roots.

The same applies to humans as we are just extension of nature. We want to grow too. Often we stunt our growth because of the relationship we have with ourselves and the relationships that surround us.

If you want to grow and flourish in any or every aspect of your life begin with assessing the relationship you have with yourself. It may sound weird but we do have a relationship with ourselves. This relationship can be encouraging, loving, nurturing, empowering or it can be critical, judgmental, and unforgiving. This is the equivalent of planting yourself in soil to naturally grow verses planting yourself in dirt and hoping for miracles, if you are hoping at all. The act of attending that summit helped me draw this creative analogy as well as helping me to learn how to grow my own food verses using the same time doing nothing. Soil vs dirt.

When plants begin to grow they will lean toward the sun if they are not receiving sufficient sunlight. I have a tall plant that sits near a window but does not have direct sunlight. It has leaned toward the window so much it looks like it wants to open and close the window. We are no different. Once we start to grow we will lean toward anything that will assist our growth.

Now it’s not all about soil and sunshine. Fungi can live in dead matter but it still wants to grow, make something of itself and serve as a crucial component of our ecosystem. It can grow almost anywhere. One might consider fungi to be resilient despite its situation. Fungi is so cool that it has its own biology classification…it’s not consider a plant or animal. It’s fungi! The point is everything in nature wants to grow, was meant to grow including you. Everything in nature is growing all the time. Are you?

If you want to grow and experience all of your fullness, I recommend you use nature as your blueprint. Do what one does when growing plants.

• Plant yourself and seeds which are your ideas, desires, ambitions, and dreams in good soil. Plant as many as possible as nature is all about abundance.
• Protect those seeds from predators.
• Nurture those seeds on a daily basis.
• Surround yourself with diverse, nurturing relationships. Nature thrives on diversity.
• Adjust so that you are always leaning toward the sun.
• Absorbed the rain as it is necessary for your growth.
• Like mushrooms, make the best of a dark situation.

Growth is a natural aspect of nature. Stagnation is not. Everything in nature wants to grow and is designed to grow with a purpose. Even with a little effort, something will grow. You are an extension of nature therefore you are meant to grow not just physically but in all aspects of who you are as a person.

Nature is an incredible teacher…and she wants to tell you her secrets! - Stacey Murphy, Spirit Gardening

Nature is awesome! Use it as your blueprint for your growth.