Plant Your Seeds
As we enter 2022 I invite you to reflect back over 2021 AND 2020 and acknowledge what seeds you have planted over the past year or two and take a moment to see how those seeds have grown over time. It can be hard to see growth and change in ourselves when we aren’t patient, when we expect change to happen quickly, or when we stop cultivating and tending to the seeds because we think we’re not worth it or that growth can’t happen for us.
It can also be hard to not see growth and change when we don’t stop, pause, reflect, and acknowledge the growth we have made, whether that be the blossoming of tiny buds, big, beautiful leaves, or fruit ready to be harvested. Additionally, growth happens at different paces for everyone so letting go of comparison is also imperative. Each seed is unique, each person is unique, each growing and changing experience is unique. Be patient, be compassionate, be tolerant, be validating, be vulnerable, be honest, be YOU! If you have a friend or loved one going through change please do this for them as well. Trust me, they need it.
If you are reading this and find that you haven’t planted any seeds or the seeds you have planted haven’t developed roots, it’s ok. Take some time this week to sit with yourself and determine what kind of seeds you want to plant and what kind of growth you want to achieve. Then make an inner commitment to plant them, water them, love them, nourish them, shine on them, and pay attention to them. If you do, they will grow.
It’s been a tough 2 years for humanity. Each of us has been affected in our own ways and each of us are in a different, unique mind state. Some of us embrace the power of positivity and look on the bright side of everything. Others may find themselves leaning mostly to the negative side of things, some find they vacillate back in forth, and some may simply feel lost. Wherever you are is ok. It is where you are. Acknowledge it. Validate that this is your experience based on your personal experiences in life. Then, decide if you want something different in 2022 and plant the seed.
As a psychotherapist, I have the privilege of being a part of this planting and tending and harvesting experience with my clients. It’s truly beautiful to watch them grow and experience the fruits of their labor. If you decide that you are going to engage in counseling this year congratulations! What a fabulous gift to give to yourself. Give yourself a good 6 months to see the seeds start to sprout. Psychotherapy is a unique process and each person’s process in counseling is as unique as a fingerprint.
Therapists are trained in a variety of therapy modalities and will select the ones that are most fitting to each client. Additionally, we may apply the same therapy modalities to multiple clients, but they will have completely different experiences from other clients. Their changes, and timeframes will be unique to them because each person is at a different point in their process when they begin therapy, each person’s comfort with openness and vulnerability is different, each person’s personality and biological predisposition is different, and each person’s story and trauma history is different. So, be patient. Be tolerant. Give the process time. Give yourself time. Give your family or friend time. Plant your seeds and watch them grow and then on January 1, 2023 see where you are! If counseling isn’t your thing, that’s ok too. Decide to plant your seeds in a different way! Maybe a hobby, a new skill, a new sport, a new relations, a new job, or a new attitude! Happy planting!
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