ebernick 
Each day presents us with opportunities to learn valuable lessons. Some of these lessons remind us of some basic principles, or concepts, which we may be neglecting. Other lessons will prove to be much more insightful, perhaps even creating an “Aha” moment! Look, these opportunities to learn life lessons will only serve us if we create an awareness of them.
In my new blog series entitled “LESSONS FROM EVERYDAY LIFE” I will illustrate a new lesson in each blog, accompanied by one photo (sometimes two), which come from our everyday lives. These photos represent a typical scene or scenario common to most of us. Yet most of us pass by these opportunities to learn life’s lessons, because we are too absorbed with all the ‘clutter’ in our lives. Hopefully this series will create an awareness of daily opportunities to learn valuable life lessons, simply by looking for opportunities to learn, as each of my photos and accompanying ‘life lesson’ will illustrate. (Listen, I am by no means a professional photographer. Most of the photos in my blog were taken with my mobile phone. The quality or lack of quality in the photo is not relevant. The emphasis is on the lesson to be learnt from an everyday scene).
LESSON ONE – “KEEP YOUR DREAM ALIVE”
Take a look at the accompanying photo. I took it whilst taking a walk in a residential neighbourhood. Listen, most people will give this scene a cursory glance, perhaps briefly admiring the mosaic artwork of the ‘post box’ and ‘house number’, and not give it another thought.
Have a closer look (sometimes we need to take a closer look at what is happening in our lives). Look at the ‘big picture’. Look at what is missing. What do you see? The fence might be dominating the view, but if you peruse the scene you will see much more than you originally did when you simply glanced at the scene as a passer-by. In the background you can see the house, even though it is largely obscured by the big fence poles. More significantly, in stark contrast with the beautiful ‘post box’ and ‘house number’ is the overgrown, unappealing garden. What questions do these observations make you think about?
One may immediately wonder why the contrast? Surely the person who took pride and joy in having such a beautiful ‘post box’ and ‘house number’ would demonstrate similar pride in finishing off the picture with a beautiful, attractive garden. One imagines that in the past, when the ‘post box’ and ‘house number’ were mounted on the fence, there was an attractive garden to compliment the scene (as evidenced by the overgrowth of dilapidated plants which have not been nurtured for a long period of time).
Questions which spring to mind may include:
‘Why has the garden being neglected?’
‘What happened to the initial passion for a beautiful garden, as attested to by the remaining evidence of such passion in the form of the ‘post box’ and the ‘house number’?
When I walked past this house I could see that there were people living in the house, so it wasn’t that it was an empty dwelling. Listen, we will probably never know the answer to the ‘history’ of this picture. At best we can make some educated guesses. However, a fairly safe assumption is that something happened, some change occurred, some desire was suffocated, perhaps even a dream was squashed, which likely explains the neglect of what was once a beautiful, luscious garden resulting in a tired, weary and unattractive garden.
What lesson, or lessons, could we take from this everyday scene?
- Do not neglect your ‘garden’. Your ‘garden’ may include your ‘mental garden’, which if neglected could lead to your self-worth deteriorating. Nourish your mental garden daily with positive thoughts, including up building thoughts about your uniqueness. You are an amazing person; you have magic, power and genius within you. Tap into your inner potential, and radiate your self-worth.
- Keep your goals in focus. Clarity is power. Stay passionate. Look, life will throw you some curved balls, and even worse, some tragedies. We don’t always choose what happens to us but you can choose your response. Choose to see problems as opportunities. Choose to grow and become stronger. Take responsibility for your own life, and the results in your life. Stop using the ‘A, B, C Language of Victims’. Stop Accusing, Blaming and Complaining. Take control. Be in charge. Set your own sails for success.
Listen, anything less and your life could become like the dilapidated weary garden in the photo, with only remnants of the special person you once were.
Start off by taking a closer look at your ‘canvas’ of your life. Are there any traces of neglect? Are there things holding you back from chasing your goals with passion? Are there people dousing your enthusiasm for your goals and your life-purpose?
Listen, you need to stop the rot now. Choose to select positive thoughts. Choose to associate with people who will grow you, not break you down. In their book ‘Three Feet from Gold’ (by Greig Reid and Sharon Lechter),the mentor tells his mentee that you will be the same person in five years as you are now, save for two things: the books you read and the people you associate with. Look, you need to carefully select who and what you will listen to, because that will determine who you become, whether you will grow or deteriorate, whether you will enjoy the results you desire or simply end up like a piece of driftwood on the ocean, being tossed and thrown about without any direction or purpose. Choose wisely. Stay focused on your dreams and goals. You are in control of your new life!
May your ‘garden of life’ reflect your powerful, positive, enthusiastic and passionate thoughts and attitude.
(Eberhard Niklaus helps organisations to grow their people and teams to perform at their best. He maximises teams through an understanding of their individual and team strengths to develop a winning culture. His coaching series, “The Art of Crafting a Winning Team” has inspired many teams to great heights).
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