“Teachers” are not always meant to be inhuman – for nature and the environment often teach us more than we get to learn professionally. What do they teach? Math? Physics? No! They teach us life, lead us to practice kindness, teach us gratitude, and also help us reciprocate goodness.
Have you ever owned a plant? If YES, you would have experienced what I’m writing. If NO, don’t you think it’s high time you own one? They are such beautiful and selfless creations subtly teaching us life. They mould us to better humans as well as help us reach our dreams. Here are some thoughts on how they benefit our mental health.
1. Patience
The most important virtue of holding on in life is “PATIENCE”. Plants don’t proliferate once after the seeds are sown. They take their own time to sprout, turn into a plant, give flowers and yield vegetables.
One cannot say to a plant, “I want you to grow overnight got no patience to wait”. It’s not right to act this way. This is the same thing with life. We cannot accept results the same night we worked; it takes time – for some, it’s a short period, but for some, it takes longer. When a seed is sown, the sower hopes that it will grow one day. Likewise, in life, we need to trust our sweat hoping our dream will bloom one day. Working and waiting patiently will yield the fruits accordingly.
Remember being patient can test us, but patience is the best for us.
2. Consistency
A plant will never grow if we are inconsistent in watering it. It needs regular grooming, water and sunlight. Similarly, our passion or our dreams stay stagnated or sometimes even die if it is not looked after. It requires constant learning, unlearning, upgrading and improvisation.
Not watering a plant for a week and then overwatering will kill the plant. Likewise, not working for days and overdoing activities will exhaust us or sometimes pushes us to give up. Both aren’t good and can make us feel worthless. We need to work regularly to reach there – our dream. Like it always said, “every drop makes a mighty ocean”, every day’s practice will take us closer to our target.
3.Endurance
Plants do not fall prey to natural calamities like storm and rain or the insect pest attacks easily unless it’s an extreme condition. They are capable of keeping themselves rooted until the last string gets cut. But to be sure of only the plants that are well nurtured can stand up among all odds. Likewise – being patient and consistent gives the power to endure through whatever may come. Letting go is more accessible, but holding things together and standing firm is wiser than the former.
4. Grow everywhere
Imagine if plants were vulnerable to grow in small areas as pots, growing bags, etc. We wouldn’t have produced any plants, or neither have we been here talking about “greens preach”. Plants adapted themselves to grow even if it was a small space. Likewise, we always cannot expect an excellent surrounding to grow towards our dream. But making every opportunity a step that takes us closer to our vision is our intelligence.
Never look for a perfect place. Grow and bloom in all areas.
5. Spread a Smile
Plants make us happy, don’t they? By just looking at them, we get an aura of calmness and peace. In parallel, we as an individual should be a person who spreads kindness, happiness and smile. Our life is short. Being a happy person and spreading kindness is more appreciated. It doesn’t cost much to spread joy; in fact, it benefits our own selves. Researches say being kind and having a grateful heart helps our mental health. And during times like these, the world needs more of our kindness and love.
And yes, plants do teach – they teach the ART OF LIVING LIFE.
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