When Life Pushes Through the Broken Soil
And how to shift your focus on what you appreciate in life
Everyone is impressed seeing a large tree. Thinking back at all the years he has lived, the storms he withstood, and the animals he provided shelter to. But what about those plants that are just starting?
Those plants are at the beginning of their life. What about them? Nobody is blown away by a tiny seed pushing through the soil. Too easy it is to just step on it and stop its life in the roots already.
But that plant worked just as hard as the old tree when it started to grow. That tree was once a seed pushing through the soil. Trying to avoid any damage from getting stepped on by humans or bigger animals.
Despite it not really having an option. Because it can’t move. It can’t get out of your way. It grows where it was dropped from a bird's beak or where the wind blew it.
And if it is unlucky this spot was in between the bricks on the pavement. In the middle of the road. Or wherever it found a crack in the ground to break through the soil.
Next time you’ll see a bundle of grass growing on your sidewalk, don’t get upset with “weeds” covering your walkway again. Take a moment. Be amazed about how this tiny plant managed to get through the hard soil.
Or sure it will change the way you see things in life. You could say it’s changing over to seeing the glass half full rather than half empty. It is. And I think it’s a great thing. Being positive. Seeing the positive things in life.
It will make you smile more often.
Whenever I do see the broken soil I have to walk across it. To feel the pieces breaking underneath my bare feet. To hear the sound the broken soil makes.
When you do see the next time this tall tree take a moment and think about how this tree must have looked when it just started. When it was still a seed. How it might have looked. Maybe you find even some small examples of it in the surrounding.
And present this to your daily life. It is easy to be amazed and impressed by those who achieved something big. But what about those who are just starting out? Still filled with the fear of getting destroyed by the tiniest change in life.
Look at the vulnerable ones. Because that’s how they are. When just starting up something new in life, one is weak. Help those. Support them in their projects and encourage them to grow. So that one day they can show off a thriving business. Or whatever their project is.
Go out and look for the small things in life. In nature but also if you’re in a group of friends, environment, and neighborhood. Support them. Appreciate the beauty of the early stages in life.
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Anne Bonfert is a traveler. Photographer. Writer. Teacher. Skydiving instructor. Adventure enthusiast. Nature lover. And fell in love with the African continent.
