,

Time, patience, consistent and necessary care and resisting the taught and unconsciously accepted as true the cultural lesson of rushing for immediate outcome. 

Each of the aforementioned items appear as having been put into practice when we look at a garden such as this one seen in the photo. 

No, these are not Monet's waterlilies in Giverny, but they certainly do resemble them, don't they? These particular water lilies reside in a garden pond more than a decade old outside of Portland, Oregon, at Luxe Perennials nursery. The owner turned her passion for gardening on her own property into a career to provide guidance, accessibility and knowledge of what took years of each of the above ingredients combined with curiosity and passion for the craft and delight of gardening. 

The normalization of immediate results errantly leads us to forgo patience, become agitated when progress isn't seen each day or moment depending upon the activity, and abandon far too soon a once desired goal simply because it hasn't materialized fast enough. 

What we forget when we accept the specious speed of desired results materializing near immediately or at the very least on our rapid timeline is that we are not the only player affecting our journey. Other factors beyond our control are simultaneously moving along their own journey that will determine if, and for the purposes of today's focus, and when what we have set our intention to bring to fruition will occur. 

And just as sometimes occurs in the garden, not every plant we welcome into our flora sanctuary will survive or flourish, we learn from these unwanted outcomes as well. And if we choose to see them as opportunities to learn how to course correct, we will arrive at the outcome that aligns with our true self and passions as well as strengths and gifts to share with the world. But throughout this progression we need to regularly practice the ingredients shared at the top of our conversation today, and if we do, we will also gift ourselves with less stress, more daily enjoyment and deeper contentment.

Now to this month's newsletter, and a newsletter full of motivation and inspiration for elevating your everydays, as well as a tour of a young, but emerging garden 'room' here at Le Papillon, along with all of the other regular postings you have come to look forward to.

I do hope you enjoy and thank you for subscribing to the free monthly newsletter. May August begin well and until Saturday August 31st, I will see you on the blog. 😌 

Bonne journée,

—Shannon

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