We see seeds all the time, everywhere. Sometimes in the food we eat and sometimes lying on the ground. You can even see seeds blowing in the wind like dandelion seeds. We don’t think a lot about seeds unless you are planting a garden or have those pesky dandelion seeds end up on your green lawn. Also, when cooking, you ensure the seeds are out of the peppers, so they aren’t so hot. Or ensure they are in because you like it hot. And if you ever take a moment to look at a most seeds, they really seem unremarkable. They are usually hard, brown and come in many sizes, but they don’t seem special. Yet when given a good warm place to reside, some nourishing water, and yes, a bit of love, these unremarkable hard-shelled seeds can turn into beautiful flowers, great trees, and bushes. They feed many of the small creatures of the world including birds, and squirrels, insects and most living things. They feed us indirectly, such as with the honey made from their nectar, and they feed us directly, making up a large percentage of our daily diets. They are really quite remarkable, but they can only become remarkable, given the right conditions. Otherwise, they lay dormant never fulfilling on the promise they could be.
People who have been diagnosed are often seen like seeds. People think we are unremarkable, and sometimes even a bother. They do not see the potential in us because they do not see the damage done by labels and marginalization which keep us from having the conditions for us to express how remarkable we are. If we do not have a warm, safe environment, it is hard to begin to bloom. If we are not given nourishment of not only healthy food, but hope, respect, and connection, how can we bloom into remarkableness. And if we are not connected with others, loved and supported, how can we achieve greatness?
Just like the seeds, when we are given the right conditions, we can be the ones who feeds others.
I know for years I existed without blooming. I was fearful, anxious, and really did not like the harsh world. I felt I was being punished for even being alive. I spent so much time in hospitals, and in therapeutic settings, yet none of that gave me what I needed to bloom. I thought my life was useless and therefore I was useless. No wonder I spent so much time trying to die, to throw away that intrusive seed of my life. And I can tell you, many people saw me as useless. I was the “frequent flyer”, the one always in trouble, the one who was unremarkable. I have even been called the bad seed. I developed a hard outer shell to protect myself, but that shell kept me from growing into who I was born to be. So many thought I was not able to bloom and should just be put into a hospital for the rest of my life.
I got lucky. Really, through a series of accidents, I found an environment where I found the warmth, the nourishment, and the connectedness of others, and yes after a while, love. It was a process and just like a seed will not grow over night, neither do we. When I bloomed, I found I could feed others, connect with them, love them, and nourish them to also bloom. That is why I started Prosumers. We are here to assist you in finding a warm safe place for you to grow. We nourish you with information and hopefully provide you with a spark of hope. Most of all, we are here to connect with you and others, to provide an environment where you can bloom to your full remarkableness.
This month, I encourage you to find some unremarkable seeds. Give them the warmth, the good environment, the nourishment and the love so that they can grow. As your plants or flowers start to grow, I would encourage you to think of your own life. Are you missing something to help yourself grow. Do you need a better environment? Do you need more nourishment? Do you need hope and love? Prosumers is here to support you in whatever way you want to grow. It does take time, as you will see while waiting for your own seeds to bloom, but it is possible to bloom. And next time you see a seed or a person who is hard and crusty, I hope you take the time to realize, with a better environment, lots of nourishment and love, they too can be remarkable.