The Rose

I don’t know much about flowers and plants, but there is one flower that I love. The rose. I have always been a fan of any variety of rose. A few years ago my wife and I decided to plant roses around our yard. We found out something really interesting. ?Some of the roses bloomed beautifully and they were amazing to see and smell. Others did ok but were not at the same level of their fellow roses and still others performed very poorly. The care was the same (99% done by my wife). What was the difference??

We found our answer when we moved the underperforming roses to a new location. They began to perk up and eventually bloomed much better than before. The only difference was their environment. We underestimate the importance of our environment. When we allow ourselves to stay or even participate in a toxic or unhealthy environment we will underachieve, and cheat ourselves from performing at our best. When we create a poor environment in our homes, we rob those we love of experiencing us at our fullest.?

We may not can choose the environment we work or live in, but we can choose how we respond to those situations. We can actively find places of growth and challenge. We can evaluate our current environment with awareness and an eye for opportunities. While we cannot control every part of an environment, we can discover what is in our control and act on it.?

Choose to intentionally create a positive environment in your personal and professional life and you will make a difference.

Larry