Ep.33 How to Contribute in Harmony with the Planet | 3 Influential Lessons

Welcome to ReConnect with Plant Wisdom. I am your host, Tigrilla Gardenia, Nature-Inspired Mentor and Leadership Coach. In this podcast, I share ancient and modern knowledge, from biology to spirituality, about the wondrous ways plants can help you lead a Naturally Conscious Life.

Hello hello welcome back to Episode 33 Episode 33. I’m so excited. So normally around this time of the year I am in Egypt. I usually spend a about a month of the year out in Egypt, but this year I decided not to go for lots of different reasons. Yeah, lots and lots of different reasons which we’re not going to really get into here. But it was I was thinking back I was looking through my pictures and I was thinking back to an experience that I had when I was last there. I was walking around the pyramids. In this particular case, I was in Giza, and I was taking a walk around the Pyramids of Giza, and I saw this little plant that was growing out of the cracks of the soil. Now, if you’ve never been to Egypt before, and you go to any, when you go to any of the various sites, you will notice that there are basically no plants, no plants at all anywhere. It’s just dirt and sand. And of course, it’s easy for us to think that the reason that there is there are no plants is because it is desert but actually I discovered that that is not the case that is not the reason why there are no plants. There are no plants because they literally pull up the plants. They pull up the plants because they’re afraid with the plants comes water and with water means erosion, and there’s all kinds of different aspects that happen around there. So whenever I would see these little plants that were growing through this super dense super dry soil, of course you me, you know me I had to stop and have conversations and try to understand why the plant is and that’s where we’re gonna get into this episode’s theme, because this episode is all about what I learned from this little plant actually this little group of plants that was about how to contribute in harmony with the planet.

So I’m trying to set the scene for you because there are so many parts about my time in Egypt and understanding these plants and trying to envision what it looked like before. Like you have to imagine that when of many of these sites were built, this was lush landscape like there were a lot of plants around. Now those plants are gone and we have you know this manmade stark reality. That is just Yeah. It’s just hard. It’s sometimes really hard to see from the perspective of how much things have changed, but more than anything, the attitude the attitude that the plants are not important yet there is this attitude that the plants are not important, but it’s not actually the case because these little plants underfoot these little plants that you basically look like tiny little wild plants or weeds that are cracking through have extremely important information to share and really important lessons for us to understand. So I’m going to talk to you about these three important lessons about your contribution about how it is that you contribute in harmony with the planet that come from the plants underfoot in Egypt. Okay, three, three, major important lessons that came from this. So bear with me because these are sorry, I’m smiling because I’m thinking back to this conversation and it was just so you know, when you have those moments when you realize something and it just sort of it knocks you back because you did not expect it. That was what it was like when I had this conversation with these plants. Like sitting here. It’s the opposite side of the pyramids. There’s very few people around and these little tiny plants that people have walked over ignored completely and I was saying how why? Why do you keep growing here? What is the benefit? And what is it that you are contributing and how can I learn from that? And this was where I got the first lesson.

First lesson is just because you’re not seen doesn’t mean that you’re not appreciated. And that one was took me aback because the whole purpose was this plants were saying look, I understand that not everybody who is walking through the pyramids, who comes to Giza is going to look down and see us but our contribution here what we do to bring the soil together to like sometimes prove that be the glue. I guess that’s the way I could say it. Like what we’re doing underground doesn’t mean that it’s not appreciated because we are just as important to what is happening around these pyramids and in these pyramids. In other words, these structures, in many ways, are being nourished by us. We are giving our contribution and that doesn’t mean that we’re not appreciated. We just feel our appreciation. By the way people appreciate the sites themselves and I found that to be really humbling because sometimes we want those accolades that come to us first and foremost, right we want to be seen for what we do. And there are times when you want to be seen and you should be seen for what you are and what you do. But there are other times where what is more important is what comes after, what is it that your contribution gives to the world. And if that is appreciated, inadvertently, they’re appreciating you. It’s this principle that we see in nature called stigma eg the idea that I pick up from the trace of what somebody else left and that because I am part of a hole, even though I don’t know what everybody else is doing.

When the hole works really well together and the hole gets recognized. I’m being recognized to I feel my contribution to that hole. And therefore whenever anybody gives any kind of accolade or recognition or understanding or appreciation to the whole, they are passing that to me. So even though these tiny little plants were not being seen directly for who they are in their individual tiny contribution, which are really not so tiny, because I was talking to one little plants, but those are one of many, many plants that are around their contribution to the overall site that millions of people come and recognize and appreciate means and to all of their ancestors that have been contributing. That’s the reason why those plants still exist because those ancestors have you know, through the years continue to live in that site and offer their contribution and their water and their nourishment and the way that they transform soil and all these different things that we know plants do. And because the site itself is being appreciated, they’re being appreciated. So it’s a beautiful thing for us to think about ourselves in that way. Just because I’m not being seen doesn’t mean I’m not being appreciated. And and that really that really touched me it really got me to understand how I got me to start thinking about all the things that I contribute to whether it’s here in Diamond her when I am working on projects that I might never get individual recognition for but when I see what we’re doing for humanity when I see the overarching like the temples of humankind themselves, right when I see a hole open that I know that I contributed my piece to by you know, taking out buckets filled with with dirt or or painting something, and even though nobody will necessarily be able to identify my contribution there, my contribution is there and therefore I’m being appreciated with every single person that comes and visits that.

So take a look around your own life and think about the places where you are part of a bigger hole. And when that whole that completeness, that that super organism is being recognized. You are being recognized and feel that take that in and that appreciation and glory exists if somebody was talking directly to you. So that’s the first one. But before I go on, I want to share with you one of our Eco conscious business partners because without them, we couldn’t have any of this. Any little bit we can do to help the environment is a win in my book. That’s why I’m such a fan of who gives a crap a be certified company that donates 50% of profits to ensure everyone has access to clean water and a toilet within our lifetime. Not all of us have access to a bad day. So if you have to wipe your bum with something, this is the best toilet paper to choose. They wrap their TP in paper not plastic, which saves tons of harmful plastic from ending up in our landfills or hurting animals and get this one box of TP can last up to a whole year. Trust me. I’ve tried this with my own family. They have two eco friendly options one made out of recycled sheets and other from bamboo sheets, which is super fast growing alternative to trees. They’re soft and strong and really hold up who gives a crap delivered to your door and offers 100% money back guarantee. You can’t beat that. So click on the link in the show notes to give it a go. Okay, so now let me go on to number two. The second most important lesson that I learned about how to contribute in harmony with the planet thanks to these tiny little plants in Egypt, your presence alone is enough to give hope and inspiration.

In other words, it wasn’t about what that plant was doing. It was about the fact that that plant wasn’t there that I was able to feel all of that hope and inspiration for the way life continues to move the way plants continue to share with us their wisdom. In other words, you don’t always have to do things. Sometimes just being is enough to give hope and inspiration to somebody else. Just being present. is enough to share with others. It is not always about the actions you take the products that you create the results that you generate. Sometimes just you being you in that right place is more than enough. So if you’re thinking about hiding away because you haven’t finished something or because you don’t want to like let other people see you halfway through recognize that just the fact that they see you and that they feel who you are and that they they can sense that presence and that beingness of what you are is more than enough to offer them the hope and inspiration that they need to keep moving forward. Because that little plant there without me even knowing anything about whether or not the plant was contributing positively or negatively to the overall overall to pyramids or to any of that site. Just the fact that in that middle of that desert, that plant was able to grow just the fact that that plant was sitting there and was sharing of their time with me. That keys time with me. That was enough. I felt rejuvenated. I felt invigorated, I was inspired. I had all these different chills from the moment that I saw the plant the happiness, the thrill of just seeing the plants there. So make yourself seen. Let others just be in your presence. Sometimes it’s not about talking. It’s not about tuning it’s not about accomplishing. It’s not about the list. It is just about the fact that you are a super important individual to the planet. And your contribution is just by being here with us. I can’t stress that one enough. I was blown away loved, loved loved that one so much.

Third point, third point got me I never even gotten me forget this one so quickly and so much fun. Ready. Cracks in the foundation. Oh are oftentimes opportunity for new life. And this is a super important one to remember when your projects when your ideas when things that you’re working on. Just don’t go your way. This plant was able to be there because they crack their way through the foundation. They pushed in some cases. So sometimes that crack is something you generate. And other times the crack comes because the sun hits that dirt and it opens up and what might look like something that maybe is dangerous or precarious because maybe somebody could like step in it or hurt themselves in reality that plant comes and takes opportunity like creates a new opportunity for themselves in that crack that happens. So if your project is going in the wrong direction, what is the opportunity that’s being offered to see if something that you’re working on just doesn’t happen the way that you expected or if you’re waiting for a response and it’s not there? Or if you do work on something and you put it out there but it’s not perfect that imperfection. What opportunity does it give you to create something completely new? And are we allowing ourselves the opportunity to see it? Because oftentimes we don’t we don’t give ourselves that permission to see those opportunities when they present themselves. We look at it as a failure. We look at it as something that’s wrong. We look at it as something that is hurtful or a step backwards or we want to run away from it and ignore it.

If instead we embrace it, whether we’re talking about a failure like we did in a recent episode, or whether we’re talking about something that just created a something unexpected in it. Look at that unexpected with the beauty of an opportunity, open your eyes to the possibility and open yourself to the questions that come from saying what can I create from here? What is it that gets me to a next a New Layer Layer? A new place that plans expressed themselves in an area that was completely unexpected? Right? So the plant that was probably underground for who knows how long, right? But that crack gave that plant the opportunity for new life and you’re cracks cracks in yourself cracks in the way that you’re doing things cracks in the projects that you’re building or the relationships that you have could also be opportunities for you to create new life. So just think about that for a little bit. So to recap, here are the three main things that I learned three main important lessons that I learned from how to contribute in harmony with the planet from the plants that are underfoot in Egypt to these tiny little weed like plants. One just because you’re not seeing doesn’t mean you’re not appreciated. Think about the whole think about the bigger picture. Think about the mission, your life purpose, think broader, and you will see that appreciation is rolling in all around you. To your presence alone is enough to give inspiration and hope. You don’t need to do anything fancy you just need to be. We’d love you for who you are. And we’re are just inspired by being with you. And the third one cracks in the foundation provide opportunities for new life.

So don’t ask yourself what went wrong necessarily. Of course. Yeah, we want to do some post mortems and stuff but more than anything, now that it’s been done, what can I do with it? Where can this take me in a whole new direction? What is the new life that I can birth from this opportunity? So I hope you enjoyed these three lessons. I know I did. And I have to say that of all the things I miss about Egypt this year, it’s really meeting a lot of those plants because that’s what I would look for in all the different sites that I was in. But I want to hear your thoughts about what we just talked about. What are how is it that you feel about these types of lessons and more importantly, what are some other things that you can learn from the plants that are underfoot from those tiny little plants that we often see growing out of the cracks but we ignore and just keep going. So leave me a comment or better yet, you know, join the naturally conscious community and let me know in there, you know that the naturally conscious community is your premier online community to discuss and talk and explore what would a world in harmony with the plant kingdom look like? And we are super happy to have you with us. So let me know your thoughts. Remember to like, subscribe, share, you know all the good stuff that makes this easier to find for somebody else. But until next time, remember to resist the urge to hold back your evolving green brilliance. That’s me to get out of any I’m out. Bye.

Thanks for listening to this episode of reconnect with plant wisdom, Intro and Outro Music by Steve Shuli and poinsettia from the singing Life of Plants. So join me to give you like our Dania and my plant collaborators next time on reconnect with plant wisdom