The Road to Sustainable Change

January 21, 2016
Trying something new can really help to eliminate the feeling of being stuck. Sometimes, you just need a little spark or variety, to ignite your imagination or worldview, which will add some extra meaning to your daily life.
Recently I watched a Ted Talks video which spoke to trying something new for thirty (30) days (Link). The speaker related how listing small things he really wanted to do then executing them in the timeline changed his perspective of himself in small increments. He began to feel less dull and became enthused about possibilities, as his list of things grew from biking to work to climbing Kilimanjaro.

It was very brief, but one thing that screamed at me as I watched him, through slightly exasperated eyes, on this particular evening after a long day at my 9-5, was that I needed to start small. My mind quickly flashed to my small garden patch that was only a few steps away.  It was not yet excessively thriving but its growth was steady, and though there were some exceptions, which didn't make it past the first stage of planting, the growth of those that did laid the foundation for future abundance.

Not only was the landscape of my once desolate front yard evidently transformed but also it was a start to sustainable change, including a change in me. For a few years now, I have been encouraged by a very good friend to make the step. I was otherwise occupied and just didn’t know if it was best seeing I live in the sunshine city where vegetation may find it difficult to survive. This discouraged me.

Late last year, the same friend decided to help me shed that discouragement by prepping a small space for planting. I was at first slightly petrified that I would not get it right, (yes I am a little neurotic about such endeavors). Anyhow there was the soil and there I was with a few stalks of callaloo, one of my favourite greens, so I took on the task of planting the five.

More than 30 days later I am proud to say I have reaped the reward of a meal once and now new growth springs forth. I have also added another small batch and remain committed. In addition, I put in a couple garlic pegs on the weekend, of which one has started sprouting, after just a few days in the ground. New Growth is a beautiful thing!
 
I also made the trip to purchase pepper and cucumber and cantaloupe to try my hand or green thumb at. Vines are now spreading for the latter two while the former is a little far ahead and will be transplanted to a pot. In the thirty (30) or so days I have been doing this, I have noted that the benefit is also physical and spiritual.

Back to that exasperated feeling, most evenings I consider it free therapy to be able to water my small patch of vegetation and count it as even more joy to work in it pulling up weeds or turning over the soil. Yes I have gotten “proper proper” tools to work with too!

I look at myself (Farmer Jane) as a friend teases and I say look at you! One small change has made a big difference, piquing my interest in so many things now. I didn’t really have that keen focus before now I find myself researching how to regrow things and paying more attention to how I treat earth in general. I realized that while working in my garden has become a meditation of sorts, I was also helping to provide food (sometimes frustratingly so to other life). Bugs and caterpillars came, butterflies too. I consider it homage to earth. Paying forward some of what I have been blissed to receive.
In the same breath, I am able to also eat some of what she has blessed me with over the years so in all it is a “win win”. In this time when climate change is such a hot topic, I am not sure if it is entirely too late to reverse some of the effects but I also believe that there are many solutions which require little or no great investment to execute. I am a perfect example of this.

In summary, a small change brings the solution to sustainable change. In closing, this is what I wanted to truly share:

1. Start small, small changes are sustainable and over time will make a huge difference.
2. I challenge to you to think of things you always wanted to do.  Remember to start small .
3. Write them down and commit to starting.

I would love to hear what you started and how you have challenged yourself. I am taking baby steps.

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P.S one cantaloupe plant didn’t make it and so did mint which I also tried but I kept going. Don’t give up!
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#gardeningisfun #eatwhatyougrow #StartSmall #Challenge&Grow
#blissingalways
Warrior Sistren 

First Cantelope

First Cucumber

Second Reaping of Callaloo