So, I have this plant… well, it’s kind of a two in one and nobody really knows what kind it is (if you can tell by looking, please let me know). Anyhoo, I named them Sam & Reba. I received them as a gift on Mother’s Day, from my nephew because he’s my kid. Now, Sam & Reba came in this cute, oversized coffee mug (some of you know how I feel about coffee mugs). Initially, I didn’t expect this plant to live beyond 4 days past the day I got it, but I surely surprised myself and I’ve been doing my good plant parenting. Alright, Mother’s Day was in May and Sam & Reba have been growing consistently since then. At one point, I noticed Reba was gaining more leaves and her flower buds were beginning to open; Sam was growing like crazy and his leaves were getting greener. Then, one day I noticed that a few of Reba’s new leaves were yellowing and falling off.
The tips of some of Sam’s leaves were turning brown and crumbling. Of course, I panicked,
thinking maybe it was too good to be true and that I was, indeed, killing another plant. Well guys, you'll be happy to know that it was a false alarm. I realized that Sam & Reba were not being slowly killed by their new plant mom, but they were outgrowing the oversized Mother’s Day mug they came in. They needed more room to grow. The lack of room for their roots was stunting their growth in ways I could not see before. It was just that now, the evidence was showing up on the outside with the browning and yellowing, and falling off of leaves.
What am I saying? Where you are could be stunting your growth. Uuummm, I don’t exactly know where you are, but I had to make that statement to get my point across. **Don’t y’all go telling people that I said they were stunting your growth.** Where you are could be a job or a position on your job. It could be wherever you have allowed yourself to become too comfortable when you know you were only supposed to stay for a season. Sometimes, though, we don’t realize that we have outgrown an atmosphere because it has always been so comfortable. Sam & Reba’s mug was super cute and fit right in the corner of the book-shelf in my bedroom. It was easy for me to water, give a lil sunlight, and feel accomplished. All that time (for about a month) they have been suffering because I wasn’t paying attention to the outward signs. All this time, you’ve been suffering because you haven’t been paying attention to the outward signs.
Often, we may not realize that we need more room to grow until it manifests outwardly, as with my plants. You know what I’m talking about, through your attitude and your actions. Believe it or not, being in the wrong place can be the cause of a terrible attitude, it can even cause us to begin to slack off because we've become so unhappy. Uh huh, that’s how we do. We walk around upset and that nobody has noticed that something is bothering us. In some cases, we don't even know what is bothering us because, well, we have taken to ignoring all the signals and flags telling us that it's time to go. Sometimes, we get so conditioned to thrive in our environment that we cause others to think we're okay where we are.
Yeah, that's a tough one. I’ve been there, in a place where I expected other people to notice that I had grown out of my box and angry when they didn’t. Then, it turned into a, "maybe I'm just meant to be here because they need me" type deal. Don’t you go allowing your “new leaves” to begin wilting and falling off because you have outgrown a space, but don’t want to make anyone else uncomfortable. I have had to learn that staying in a place for the comfort of others could be detrimental to my purpose and calling. I can’t afford that, and neither can you.
Want to know something else that was vital to repotting my plants? The correct soil. Yep, I needed to get something that would nourish them as they grew. I couldn't go get the cheap Dollar Tree stuff (they sell it... I've seen it), I had to get that good Miracle Gro (mine is organic, to be exact). Just like we need nourishment in order to grow. What is feeding you (or not) is vital to your process. Of course, lack of nourishment can't stunt your growth as much as outgrowing a place altogether. Nourishment, to you, can mean a number of things. It can be training to prep you for the job they expect you to do. It can even be opportunities to improve your mental health. Whatever it is, be sure you're getting it. Be sure that, you are not only being fed, but that you are being fed the right stuff (yes, stuff).
So, what I am saying is, you will know when it’s truly time (even if someone tries to tell you that you don't). Annnddd not just when you feel you’ve outgrown a place and you are ready to pack up and peace out because you're "tired of these folks". Nope, actually, that is typically a sign that you need to stay and learn a few hundred more things (I have personally learned this as well).
My dear, when you feel it’s time, seek God for your next move (or if you should move at all), whims do not usually make good leaders.
I love y’all! (I really do)
Ms. A.M.White