PEBBLE
The seed does not look like the tree, and the tree does not look like the fruit.
~Nicole C. Mullen, shared by Ann-Margret via Whimsy & Wisdom
BOULDER
The fact that I can plant a seed, and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge, and it becomes another’s, smile at someone, and receive a smile and return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.
~Leo Buscaglia, shared by Teresa in Cincinnati, OH
PONDER
Spring officially arrives in a few days, although the seed planting has already begun in our household. The basement is filled with little cups of hope which are being nurtured by grow lights, classical music, and lots of careful tending by my sweetie. He has to plant many more seeds than we’ll eventually have plants because he’s never quite sure how many will sprout and thrive.
I have several talks coming up this spring and summer, and I realized that over the past 30 years I’ve gradually developed techniques and strategies for tending to the idea seeds that will eventually grow into the bountiful garden of content I use in my presentations. My “seed beds” look somewhat different than the ones in our basement: the whiteboard in my office as well as various notetaking and voice recording apps on my phone are the “fertile ground” where I can plant intriguing information and ideas that randomly appear in articles, conversations and daydreams.
I’m never quite sure which ones will take root and eventually grow into content that I’ll share publicly, and sometimes it seems like I waste a lot of time and energy on the many ideas that don’t find their way onto my slides or speech notes. It’s been helpful to reframe that thought, since I know for sure that the overall quality of my presentations have improved in part due to habits I’ve developed around recognizing and capturing ideas with potential.
So how might this apply for you these days? Is there a work, school, or life project that could use a little extra TLC? Maybe you could start by identifying a good spot to capture ideas…it could be as simple as a piece of paper or a document on your computer. Oh, and don’t forget to play music…the right tunes can help all kinds of good stuff grow.
Peace,
Paul
P.S. I realized after I finished assembling this week’s Ripples that we explored similar territory last year in Ripples #1297: Watering Your Seeds. I hope some seeds are worth planting twice?!
