the best time to plant? now!

There's a popular Chinese proverb that says: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." I shared this proverb on my social media, and then I got to thinking…

What if, 20 years ago, the soil was extra dry? Or if another tree lived in the space that would have provided too much shade? Or another tree hadn't grown enough, and the new tree, the one you were planting, would have gotten too much sun?

Here's the thing. We can't know if the best time was years ago or today. I've heard many friends, clients, and myself complain that we didn't establish sobriety sooner, end that bad relationship earlier, take that new business opportunity quicker. What if we are precisely where we need to be? What if the spoils of our "failed" endeavors are exactly the compost we need to grow the strongest, best version of ourselves?

Rather than living in "what if?" thinking, perhaps you can challenge yourself today to step into the present and claim, "right now." I bet if you do, in 20 years, you won't believe what you've grown.

If you need help stepping into the life that you've been hoping, dreaming, wishing for, then please reach out.