Spring Has Sprung- Positive Growth in Relationships

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” 

-- Lao Tzu (570-490 BC) Founder of Taoism

Getting unstuck in our relationships is a process that requires patience, trust, flexibility, and nurturing- not unlike nature’s process during springtime.  Spring demonstrates some valuable ideas that we may benefit from on our own journey toward growth.  We just need to take a few moments and consider the world around us.

Patience- It can be a challenge waiting for the colors of spring to appear, particularly after a harsh winter. We may visit the local nursery too soon, expecting summer flowers to be on display and feel frustrated having to put our gardening/landscaping plans on hold.  It can be a humbling experience to accept nature on its own terms and according to its own schedule. Practicing patience in our relationships can be challenging as well.  We may have struggled for months or years in relationships that triggered feelings of fear, despair, and/or frustration before we became ready for change. It is helpful not to force change to occur, but to remain relaxed and open to opportunities that do come our way.

Trust- It can be an amazing experience to watch fragile flower bulbs discover life after enduring the long winter months.  There is much that happens beneath the surface of the soil.  Even though we cannot see the process, we can trust that at the start of every spring, the bulbs will eventually sprout, push upward, and show themselves.  This can be true of our own growth in relationships.  We may not be able to see how exactly we are changing and moving toward healthier relationship behaviors, however, that does not mean change is not happening. We can trust in ourselves and our ability to truly know deep down beneath the surface what is right for us.

Flexibility- Plants, trees, and flowers adapt well, which enables them to survive.  Just as leaves bend and reach toward the sun’s rays, we often need to bend and reach toward a new perspective in our relationships.  New relationship behaviors require some adjustment and we may feel uncomfortable at first, but once achieved, we will flourish and feel re-energized.

Nurturing-  Just as the removal of weeds allows growth-inspiring nutrients to reach plants and flowers, letting go of relationships that keep us stuck, nurtures our strength and ability to create positive change.  It is important to remind ourselves that people enter our lives for various reasons- some for short periods of time, some for years.  Sometimes, we find that we no longer connect with another person because we have made significant internal changes and no longer function in a way that supports the relationship.  We do not have to judge this as good/bad but part of the process of getting unstuck in our relationships.

May the spirit of springtime inspire us to embrace opportunities for positive change.