I took my dog, Harley, on a golf cart ride when I got home today, and couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous the desert is right now.  The lush, green grasses and the flowers peeking out make me realize I DO live in God’s country.  As I approached my favorite Saguaro cactus, I got out and walked up underneath it to capture it’s beauty.  Then, it got me thinking.  Did you know a Saguaro doesn’t grow branches until it’s 50-75 years old?  When it reaches 35 years of age, it begins to produce flowers.  This cactus is most likely 100 years old and it could live another 75+ years.  It’s beauty and majesty are breathtaking.

How many of us want to “speed up” the process of blooming through our life?  We can’t wait to babysit, to drive, to get married (in some cases get divorced), to have kids, to hear “MaMa” for the first time, for our kids to start school, for them to get out of school, for our kids to get married, to have grandchildren, etc.  When was the last time you just sat back and took a nice deep breath and treasured your life in the moment?  The here and now?

I gave up on so many things in my life before allowing situations to bloom.  One thing I’m glad I didn’t give up on was my marriage.  It never came easy for us, but looking back, I realize it wasn’t suppose to.  Our marriage was suppose to be a testament to others (especially our kids) on what love and commitment looks like.  Commitment through the good (and there was a lot of good) and through the bad.  Both of us could have called it quits, just like most marriages, but we didn’t.  And here we are – together.  Content.  Most likely the happiest we’ve been in our 35 years together.  I’ve watched us bloom before my very eyes.  We’ll never be perfect, but I’m grateful every single day and still get goosebumps when he kisses my neck.  God is good.

How many people go through life quitting just before they reach the sweet spot?  You watch them pour blood, sweat and tears into their dreams, only to give up right before they bloom.  They jump to the next best thing because it’s shinier, slicker and quicker to obtain, only to find that they need to work at that, too.  For some, this strategy may work.  Others; however, end up feeling like their life is a big ole’ shit sandwich and they just took another bite.

Then there are those, with significantly less resources than others, who continue.  They work, they struggle, they fight and claw their way to success.  They never EVER give up.  I often wonder what the voices in their heads say differently than the ones who quit?  Do they have conversations with the 8 yr. old girl who was rejected on the playground?  Do they talk to the woman who can’t stop eating; therefore, she focuses on her achievement to numb the pain?  Do they possess  some super power only given to a chosen few?  The kind that allows some to overcome obstacles others can’t?

I believe gratitude plays a big part in your ability to patiently plod through the seasons leading up to the blooms in your life.  After all, how can we be trusted with more, if we aren’t grateful for what we have?  How can we teach others through our struggles if we, ourselves, have not experienced them?  What if your time of waiting is actually a testament to others, inspiring them to keep marching forward?  Some of my greatest inspiration to others has been given unknowingly during my greatest struggles.

I also believe when we’re too busy to see the beauty in our lives, we lose confidence that our lives will bloom in the areas we desire most.  I can assure you I did not focus on the beauty in my husband in our early years – I was too busy trying to change him and mold him into the person I thought he should be – mainly because I was under the assumption I was perfect and he was not.  Life experiences taught me I’m not always the princess (shocker, I know).  Maybe it’s growing old or just plain maturity, but I can honestly say that I treasure the littlest things now.  What a gift.

The same goes for your personal business and/or job.  Do you take time to see the beauty or do you spend your days bitching about Monday coming and TGIF’ing your way to the door on the weekend?  There HAS to be something beautiful to see, and I’d be willing to bet the person in the unemployment line could point it out to you.  So often, we don’t realize what we have until it’s gone.

If you’re building a Direct Selling business and it feels like you’ve planted seeds, and keep watering them with no blooms in sight – don’t lose hope.  Your drought will not last forever.  I encourage you to stay the course.  Keep watering.  When you least expect it, your business will bloom.  The worst feeling in the world is to look back with regret at “what could have been”.  Don’t give up just because you haven’t hit that sweet spot yet.  A lot of things in life will be far too easy to give up on, but never (ever) give up on your dreams.

You can – and you will – BLOOM IN THE DESERT.

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. – Isaiah 35:1

“Be brave, be kind, be bold, be fierce, be YOU”

-Jules-