GROWING
THROUGH CHALLENGES

I have gardened in some capacity throughout my entire life. My dad even used to prepare a little corner of our family vegetable garden for me when I was small, and I could pick whichever veggies I wanted to grow. I love growing vegetables and fruit, but as I got older, I also became interested in growing flowers. It became a bit of a hobby, and I read books, took a flower arranging class, and even made horticulture part of my study abroad in the UK my senior year in college.

A few years ago, when I was living in my beautiful home state of Washington, my husband and I grew a cut flower garden. It was an insane amount of work, but incredibly rewarding. This is all to say, that I have learned so much from tending numerous gardens throughout the years. I have even learned valuable life lessons. One of the main lessons gardening, and especially growing flowers, has taught me is that challenges are always present, but so are opportunities for growth.

Toward the beginning of my flower interest, I read a book about flower breeding that featured a section on the eccentric but genius breeder Leslie Woodriff. Chances are, you haven’t heard of him. But you’ve probably at least seen what he is famous for: the Stargazer lily. Initially, lilies change and the frequencies I could use with my were not used widely in bouquets or arrangements because their blooms faced downward. Woodriff crossbred different lilies, and eventually, bred the Stargazer, named because it had blooms facing the sky. Because of its big, beautiful, sky-facing blooms, the Stargazer went on to become one of the most popular florals and is easily recognizable by many.

What’s funny about this flower, is that it’s breeder, Woodriff, lived in what many would describe as a chaotic, messy, unorganized manner. Some even described his living situation as a shamble, and his greenhouse reflected that. There were even reports that his greenhouse was so dirty, you could find bits of mold, trash, or dead insects and matter all over the place. It’s also impossible to prove exactly what he crossbred to make the Stargazer, since his notes were so disorganized. And yet, he did what no one else could at that time—created a beautiful, reliable, hardy lily with its bloom pointing upward.

To this day, some theorize that the state of his environment resulted in stronger and more disease-resistant breeds because of the challenges they faced while growing in his shamble of a greenhouse.

Challenges are not unique to lilies; they are something we all face regularly—whether you have experienced loss or unexpected changes, life can be hard to navigate. I think we can all learn a lot about growing through challenges from the Stargazer, but I’d like to focus on challenges in the workplace. There will be times where you may disagree with your manager, or you are having trouble learning new software that has been implemented, or you feel like you have not been able to accomplish everything you’ve needed to that day. I have three tips for you if you have been experiencing challenges while working.

Look at How Far You’ve Come

Take the time to reflect on how you’ve progressed. Remember your first day of the job? It’s likely you’ve vastly improved since then. Sometimes we get impatient or lose perspective of all that we’ve learned, but remembering how far you’ve come can be a great motivator when working through challenges at work.

ALWAYS Communicate

If you need help, ask for it. It’s not always easy, or you may not feel that there are resources available to you, but you’ll never know how circumstances can improve if you don’t voice your concerns in the first place. Similarly, if you feel things are going well, communicate that to those you work with. You never know who else is experiencing challenges and may need some validation.

Work as a Team

At some point, it is necessary to work with others. Most of us work within a department or group of professionals, and it’s important to work as a cohesive team. Recognize each other’s strengths, and lean on the team’s collective skills rather than trying to do everything yourself, or overloading someone else on your team. Challenges are always easier when faced together instead of individually.

The further we progress in our careers, the better we get—especially when we’ve grown through challenges and gained valuable skills from working through them. I know it’s substantially easier said than done, but I hope once you jump over your hurdles or see the light at the end of your metaphorical tunnel, you will reflect on the changes you’ve made and the strength and skills you’ve gained. At that point, you can lift your head up toward the sky knowing that through the worst, you put forth your best, just like the Stargazer.