Grow Where You are Planted

You have to be honest, especially with yourself.

Whenever I tell people to grow from where they are planted, people come up to me and say, “How do you grow when you are planted with weeds, how bad things are for me, I’m surrounded by people who are negative thinkers, etc.”

People say only if I could get out of this situation or have this or that then I would succeed. The bitter fact is that there can be a thousand reasons to not do something, but you just gotta find that one reason to do it and then just do it.

You can grow successfully only in the worst of circumstances because these circumstances shape you in a way you would not be shaped if you had eased. If you want to be a great leader and be successful at what you do, then you have to stop wishing that you were somewhere else, with someone else in another environment because where you are right now is the right place for you. Now that I look back at my own career life, I feel I have wasted so many of my precious working years thinking about if I was in the right place I would grow fantastically, don’t do what I did!

Years ago I was having lunch with the CEO of this garment industry, it is one of the most famous garment industries today in the western world and while having lunch he said something that changed my life forever, “The reality is we didn’t simply decide to show up on this planet. We were planted at this particular time and in this particular place by the universe who has a purpose in mind for us.”

Let this statement sink in:

It’s possible that you may not be aware of your purpose right now and I know it may be a tough place for you and you may be feeling some constraints, but one thing I know is that it is the right place for you because you are planted here for a reason. You might have people around you who are tough to deal with but how else are you going to master the art of dealing with people? If you are not surrounded by people who test your limits and push your buttons? How will you embrace change if you aren’t in an environment of uncertainty?

I’m encouraging you to look at the bigger picture here because the universe has set you up to achieve greatness by putting you in that situation for your growth, just like it has put the beautiful lotus flower in the mud and it blooms, that’s where you are supposed to bloom and grow so don’t try to run away from that boss and escape any tough situation you find yourself in because the fact of the matter is that these people and these situations will follow you throughout your career.

Leaders can grow successfully wherever they are, in whatever circumstance life has out them by simple GPS formula.

The GPS formula

If you cannot navigate through the obstacles and challenges you are facing right now then what is the guarantee that you will be able to do so and be successful in the new place you are put in.

Gain from your experience, you want to do this consciously in the beginning until it becomes a habit and gets imprinted in your DNA. Everything that you experience in your professional life serves towards your growth, expansion, progress, and excellence. So don’t let any situation go to waste. Always recognize what you are gaining from your experience, may it be mental and emotional strength or knowledge and wisdom or more confidence may be, may it be anything, just remember that all of this is going to help you to move forward towards your goals.

Productivity Focus. Your work is your true testimony, you will be known for your work, so rather than playing the victim card and asking why am I in this situation, reverse the situation and begin to focus on your work and outcome that you want to achieve because greatness comes by making a difference in the lives of other people and by doing something meaningful.

Strategize your emotions. Most of the time you don’t grow where you are planted because you let your emotions overpower you completely, and these emotions then don’t let you think with a sound mind. Instead of letting emotions control you, you control them. I’m not saying hide your emotions, letting emotions out is very important but don’t let it go to an extent that makes you a pessimist and unproductive. Give yourself time and become aware of what triggers those emotions for you and try to overcome these triggers. Don’t let emotions like anger, hatred, jealousy, and fear overpower you because these emotions can make you stagnant and not let you move forward. Instead of letting these emotions control you, just notice them. Notice these emotions as a bystander cause once you catch them, they can’t control you. 

Hope this is of much value to you in your journey to success.