Lessons from Planting Bulbs
Of all the things I do in my garden, I think the one that requires the most faith is planting bulbs. It is autumn when I plant them; everything is turning brown. The soil is cold and I’ve been harvesting and preparing my garden for winter for several weeks. Planting something seems counter-productive. Besides, bulbs are expensive and they don’t look like much. They’re often shriveled and many have a dried outer layer that is cracked and peeling. Bulbs need to be planted deep, some of them 6 inches deep, in the cold, damp soil. I strategically plan for where I want a bright breath of spring color to emerge as the snow slowly melts. I wait though a cold, icy winter before I see any fruit of the time and money I’ve invested. Often, when spring finally comes, I’ve forgotten where I even planted the bulbs in the first place. Planting them is an act of complete faith.
The interesting thing is, although it seems cruel to place a bulb deep in the cold soil for the winter, if it’s not planted the bulb will shrivel and die. Through that long chill a planted bulb grows, gathering strength, slowly pushing its small shoots toward the surface so that when the sun begins to warm the earth again it emerges a living, green thing that will, in turn, produce a bright, happy bloom for all to see and enjoy.
There are times in our lives when it feels like we’ve been shoved deep in the cold, dark earth and left there for the winter. In these times we often fail to see that if we don’t go through a period of darkness we will, like a bulb, shrivel up; we will not gather the strength we need to become the perfect bloom that we can be. So, we have two choices when we are put in these dark situations.
One option is to become a victim of the darkness. We can become hard and complain about our situation, heedless of the strength we could be gaining. We might even begin to blame everyone and everything around us for causing the darkness. We may begin to ask “Why Me?” or allow our brains to come up with all sorts of nasty victim stories that we begin to believe, stories like: I’m not good enough, I’m ugly, I’m stupid, I don’t deserve anything better. But, like a bulb, if we choose to be the victim we will eventually shrivel up, unhappy, cold, and miserable.
On the other hand, we can choose to use this time of darkness to gather strength. We can take responsibility, wherever we are, and learn from the situation. We can believe that spring will come, the soil of our lives will warm, and we will break the surface into a bright new day. We can ask questions like: What can I learn from this? How can I use this experience to strengthen me? We can become stronger and stronger and push toward the surface until one day we emerge into the light and feel the joy that we have so looked forward to.
The science behind this analogy is in the question words that we use.
WHY is a question that sends your brain into the realm of past experience. It causes you to look back to events, or to things you have been told or have told yourself. When it is asked during a negative life experience, it dredges up negative beliefs from your past. If asked when life is good, it reminds you of positive past experiences. Asking why in this manner creates a cyclic thought process, one that won’t lead to resolution.
WHAT or HOW questions put your brain into a problem-solving mode, one that allows it to sort through all of your brain files to find a solution. When these questions are asked, your brain begins looking and listening for solutions all around you. It may find answers in the things you read, in the things people say, or even in the lyrics to the music you listen to. It will continue to come up with solutions until you find the perfect one and begin using it to solve your problem.
I know from personal experience that the questions I ask myself make all the difference in the outcome of every situation I face. My desire is that you will begin today asking the questions that will assist you in your continued growth. If you are in your own personal winter, know that I and so many others have experienced similar times and have emerged victorious. I know that spring will come. The soil will warm and you will emerge into a light and warmth that will make winter but a memory.
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. ~Hal Borland