We seldom find ourselves established in what would be considered the perfect circumstances or environment to grow and achieve everything we want in our lives. It is therefore important that we learn to adapt, to thrive in any environment, no matter how difficult it may be.
There are many factors that comprise our circumstances:
Geographic location
Where do you live? How can you use your location to your advantage? What can you do where you are now that moves your ambitions forward?
Climate
Same as with geographic location, in many ways.
What economic opportunities are in your area?
Is it possible to pursue your career path where you are right now? Or do you need to relocate? What can you do in the meantime to prepare yourself for when the opportunity presents itself?
Proximity to family and friends is an influence that cannot be understated.
Hopefully, they are all understanding and supportive of your goals and the sacrifices that are required of you. Otherwise, you will need to find a way to manage the fragile balance in a way that does not alienate you from them, but at the same time allows you to forge your own path.
Financial status
Are you making enough money to afford the necessities? Do you have some discretionary income? Enough to set aside something for savings and investments? Or are you struggling? Living paycheck to paycheck? Drowning in debt and credit cards maxed-out?
Social status
Do you have friends to associate with? People you can call at 3 am in an emergency? Or are you a loner?
Career
Are you employed? In business for yourself? Is your job secure? Is your business earning you money? Are you on the path for advancement in your field, or growth and expansion of your business?
Health comes in various, interwoven forms, and is one of, if not the most important parts of our lives.
Physical health is something we tend to take for granted, until problems arise. What are you doing now to preserve and/or improve your physical health. Proper nutrition and exercise are a good start.
Mental health is affected not only by chemistry in our bodies, but by virtually everything around us in our day-to-day lives. Walking, meditating, deep-breathing, living with an attitude of gratitude affects not only your outlook, but your physical health as well. Talking with someone you can trust (be careful) about what is troubling you can help. Admitting you need help from a professional therapist is not a sign of weakness. If anything, it is a sign of strength.
Emotional health and Spiritual health, in my opinion, are very similar in nature to mental health. Prayer and meditation soothe the soul. My wife used to do a walking meditation every day, making a point of noticing at least one beautiful thing each time.
Family situation
Marriage; children; grandchildren; parents; siblings … all these are sources of strength, joy, and worry, and are a large part of our spiritual, emotional and mental health.
The world and national economies are truly beyond our ability to control. The best we can do is work smart, make and execute good decisions that allow us to thrive as individuals. Hopefully that will have a ripple effect that will help our families, our employees, and the people we do business with.
The political climate only seems to be getting worse every day. Pick any issue and I’ll show you something to worry about. Thinking logically for yourself, not letting the social media “experts” have undue influence over you, and just go on every day with the purpose of making the world a little bit better is the only advice I could offer. (And remember, that is FREE advice, and as such is worth what you paid for it.)
Life-changing problems or challenges
Setbacks happen. Things seldom go according to plan. Obstacles pop up, threatening to bring our progress to a grinding halt. Some people will see them as an impenetrable wall, and give up, while others look for and find opportunities, accept the setbacks as challenges to be overcome.
The importance of thriving in any environment
You are where you are. There is no way to control the world around you. It is what it is and it ain’t what it ain’t. The only thing you have any control over is yourself and how you respond to your circumstances. Because if you do nothing, your circumstances will not improve on their own.
Understanding Your Circumstances
Embrace the present moment. You can’t undo the past, and tomorrow is yet to come. All you have to work with is now. What you are facing today might not be what you would have hoped for. But it is what it is, and it ain’t what it ain’t. It’s yours to deal with, one way or another.
Be here now. What you do now, today, will determine your circumstances tomorrow. Evaluate your current situation, identifying both the challenges and opportunities. Recognize your resources and limitations.
Practice mindfulness and gratitude.
Father Time is undefeated. Sooner or later, he gets us all. As we get older, we have first one health issue, then another. In my case, I went from being as healthy as a horse well into my 50’s and early 60’s to now, at age 70, having a laundry list of things that are wrong with me. An eye stroke resulted in near-total blindness in my right eye. Then, I developed heart trouble, and had to have a valve replaced. When they opened me up to do that, the doctors discovered I had an aneurysm about to burst, so they had to take care of that. And now both my shoulders are arthritic. The left one has no cartilage – it’s bone on bone – and is going to need reconstructive surgery. The list goes on, but those are the main issues.
In spite of that, I am grateful to have one eye that still works. I’m thankful that the doctors were able to repair my heart, and grateful that it’s my shoulder and not a hip or knee. That would have been crippling. My challenge is to create a new and meaningful life for myself that will allow me to be productive and maintain a positive attitude. To bloom where I am planted.
Let go of past regrets and future worries.
Looking back, I recall with clarity many mistakes I have made. Many hurtful things I have said and done. And I am powerless to undo any of them. I have reached out to apologize to people whose feelings I may have hurt. One was very gracious, accepted my apology and actually thought that what had happened was funny, saying that it wasn’t necessary for me to apologize. Another never responded, and I have no way of knowing if my message was received. A couple others have sadly passed on, so it is too late. That’s where I found myself. Where did I go from there? I really had no other choice but to learn to forgive myself and move on. That is part of blooming where you are planted.
Cultivate a Growth Mindset. Regardless of your present circumstances, you are in a position to adopt a positive outlook and embrace change as an opportunity for growth. View setbacks as learning experiences, otherwise we gain nothing from the hardships we endure, and will likely have to repeat the lessons until they are learned.
Foster resilience. Accept the concept of walking into discomfort. Bloom where you are planted and “Get comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable.”
Identify your passions and values. If you don’t like what you are doing, why are you doing it? If you have to do it, why? And for how long? What are you doing to lift yourself out of it?
Nurture personal development despite the trials and tribulations that are bound to come your way. Develop coping strategies for adversity. Plan for the worst. Prepare for the best. Have a game plan. A flow chart, at least in your mind, for how to deal with likely scenarios, and maybe even a few unlikely ones.
Set meaningful goals. Create a vision for your future.
“I’ll believe it when I see it” should be replaced with “I’ll see it when I believe it.”
We too often make ourselves miserable because we are not “happy”. I think maybe it’s better to pursue meaning and purpose, which can lead us to peace and contentment a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, self-esteem, and identity. A reason to get up in the morning.
Invest in continuous learning for fun, for career development, for keeping your mind sharp. Seek out opportunities for skill development and expanding your knowledge and expertise.
Cultivate a supportive network by building mutually helpful relationships with an emphasis of quality over quantity.
Build meaningful connections. Surround yourself with positive influences. We are the average of the people we spend the most time with.
Seek out mentors and role models, people who will challenge you to do more, to be more.
No one is an island. No one stands alone. Contribute to your community. Giving back helps others flourish. Or, pay it forward.
Celebrate progress along the way through the incorporation of
targets, goals, and rewards. You are ultimately aiming toward a target, which may be hard to reach. (Target). To get there, you need to start from wherever you are right now and begin accomplishing a series of smaller achievements on a daily basis. (Goals). To keep yourself and your team motivated, it is a good idea to celebrate the achievement of the goals along the way by doing something you enjoy. (Rewards).
Embrace flexibility and adaptability. Go with the flow; appreciate the inner peace that comes with making progress every day despite challenges; don’t wait for everything to be perfect; don’t wait for everyone to be rooting for you. You are where you are, and that’s as good a place to start as any.
Be open to new opportunities and possibilities – keep an open mind and a sharp eye. There are opportunities to grow and prosper, to train and improve, in just about every circumstance, no matter how painful that circumstance may be. If some good comes out of it, say by gaining something, or learning a useful, marketable skill in the process of dealing with adversity, it can take the sting out of the experience.
Take action and make changes. Take a look around. Are you on course? If not, adjust your approach as needed. I flew airplanes for a living most of my adult life. One thing I learned early on was that flying cross country from one place to another, be it a short hop or a trans-oceanic international flight, is comprised of a series of small, sometimes barely noticeable corrections of heading, power settings, etc. The same is true in most endeavors. To the untrained eye, it looks smooth, effortless as the master works.
Final thoughts on the transfrmative power of blooming where you are planted:
The concept of “blooming where you’re planted” is important to understand and embrace if you wish to live a meaningful and prosperous life. Basically, it all boils down to making the most of what you have to work with, as opposed to laying around, complaining that you never get a break simply because everything isn’t laid out for you.
Along the way, you will develop self-mastery, inner strength, perseverance, and a new perspective on life.