Life is a Mentor

Today I have the privilege of sitting on a park bench at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia. As I walked to this space, I continued to be in awe with the various shades of green that surrounded me. We have nice parks in California, but I am never disappointed by the vast vegetation whenever I travel to this side of our country.

While I enjoy the chatter of people on holiday and the birds that fly by with an eloquent display of maneuvers, I am stunned by a resilient plant that is growing through the pavement. I started thinking of the struggle that seeds must go through before becoming the beautiful flowers and the soaring trees that bring us joy and comfort. Something or someone first brings the seed. Sometimes seeds land on fertile soil, and still other times they fall on arid landscapes. They may face incredible thirst and steadfast weather that challenges them beyond measure. Especially with weather like I am experiencing today that displays scorching heat and a humidity that makes a California guy like me feel like I am in a sauna. Not to mention the weight of the soil and even concrete that holds the little seed down. However, in the midst of such torment, the seed persist and sprouts towards the loving light above.

Yet, all I see today is this beautiful flower in all its splendor, a resilient warrior, victoriously standing at the Olympic Park.

Sometimes life can feel like that for us as well. In many ways, the journey of life can feel like our greatest tormentor before we come to receive her as a mentor. When we begin seeing our struggles, our disappointments, and the adversity we experience in our journey as a mentor, we begin to see the loving light above. We begin to experience the growth as we bounce back. We begin to choose joy, knowing that we are stronger, steadfast, and capable of so much more than life can place before us.

If you are just being planted or if you are still fighting to sprout through the adversity that this journey has placed before you, I look forward to seeing the beautiful flower and the soaring tree you are becoming.

Here are my gardening tips for your journey:

• Surround yourself with people with a growth mindset

• Practice self-care, it can be a tough journey

• Discover the power of positive affirmation

• Water your spirit

• Be a mentor to those around you, not a tormentor