How rich is your compost?
How fertile your soil is makes a difference as to how things are going to grow. I’m not talking about literal soil here. I’m talking about the soil of your life. Think of all the experiences you have had in your life up until now as the ingredients that make up the very rich compost in which you get to plant the seeds of your future.
That’s great news. That means your whole life- the wonderful times as well as the dark times, your greatest wins as well as your greatest regrets- all get to contribute to propelling you forward today. But you need to do one very important thing in order to make sure your compost is as rich as it can possibly be. You need to actually reflect, preferably in writing, about the richness of your life. Reflecting will turn those wonderful and painful experiences into fertilizer. It will allow you to take a challenging experience and turn it into a juicy worm that aerates your soil!
Here are a few reflection questions that can serve as a great jumping off point:
What do you know about yourself now that you didn’t know 15 years ago?
What is one important lesson you have learned?
How have you been humbled as a parent, friend, partner, or colleague?
What are you most proud of?
What do you want to be acknowledged for?
How have you grown in the last year? month? week? day?
Make a list of 5 “wins” in the past month (a win being something you’re proud of, something to celebrate)
If there is one that resonates with you, journal about it. Or you could journal about one a day for the next week. If you don’t like to write, you might make a voice memo about it on your phone. You could answer these questions out loud with a friend or partner. Whatever your preferred approach, the point is to take time to notice you and your growth.
I have found that we are much more competent and resilient than we give ourselves credit for. We tend to focus on our failures and shortcomings rather than our strengths. What’s an example of this? We are way more open to “constructive criticism” than we are to praise. If someone has slightly negative feedback for you, you may dig in and ask questions to find out more about how to improve. When someone compliments you on a job well done or tells you how great you are, rarely, if ever, do you say “Tell me more.”
Other people can see our strengths and our abilities much more clearly than we can. Our strengths and growth can be hidden away in blind spots. If you take a moment to mine your own content, there is so much richness there waiting to be uncovered. The simplicity of this exercise may seem like it’s not worth doing. But give it a try. And when you do, let me know what you discover. I would love to hear from you.
