“Bloom where you are planted” is an expression to encourage you and me to make the most of what we have, where we are. While we can’t always choose our circumstances or environment, we can choose our attitude and our actions. We can, in fact, choose to flourish.
The Wildflower’s Choice
Once upon a time, a small wildflower seed drifted through the air, carried by the wind on a journey unknown. It had always dreamed of landing in a lush meadow, surrounded by rich soil and gentle rains. But fate had other plans.
The seed tumbled down and landed in a barren, rocky patch of earth. The ground was dry and cracked, with barely any soil to nestle into. Towering boulders cast long shadows, blocking the warmth of the sun. The seed felt a pang of disappointment. “Why here? Why couldn’t I have landed somewhere better? How will I ever grow in a place like this?”
Days passed, and the seed remained buried beneath the harsh terrain. But then, something stirred deep within—a tiny whisper of determination. “Maybe I didn’t land where I wanted to, but I am here. And if I am here, I must try.”
Drawing strength from the few drops of rain that reached the ground and stretching toward the small rays of sunlight that peeked through the rocks, the seed began to sprout. At first, it was just a delicate green shoot, fragile against the rough surroundings. But with each passing day, it grew stronger. Its roots wove between the stones, finding pockets of soil to anchor itself. It refused to wither.
And then, one morning, against all odds, the wildflower bloomed. A bright, golden blossom unfurled its petals, bringing an unexpected burst of color to the desolate landscape. The flower stood tall, a testament to resilience and perseverance.
Then something remarkable happened. Other tiny seeds, long hidden beneath the surface, saw what the wildflower had done. If one could bloom in this rocky land, perhaps they could too. Inspired, they began to push through the cracks, sending up small green shoots of their own. In time, the once-barren patch became a small oasis of life—a scattering of wildflowers transforming the landscape.
The wildflower had hoped for a meadow but instead became the reason one existed.
Moral: We don’t always get to choose where we are planted in life, but we do get to choose how we grow. By embracing our circumstances, however imperfect, and making the most of what we have, we can create beauty, inspire others, and flourish—even in the most unexpected places.
You Have a Choice
“Bloom where you are planted” is an expression to encourage you and me to make the most of what we have, where we are. It suggests that, while we can’t always choose our circumstances or environment, like the wildflower in the story, we can choose our attitude and our actions. We can, in fact, choose to flourish.
“Learning how to actively build the positive and contain the negative has real and practical results,” writes Maureen Gaffney in her book, Flourishing. We can learn to do this when we face life’s ordinary challenges-a stressful job, a minor illness, a rough spot in a relationship. And we can do it when we deal with major adversities-losing a job, dealing with an unstable political environment, facing a major illness.
We have a choice, you and I, although sometimes it seems like we don’t, or it’s a choice we’d rather not make. But, as José N. Harris reminds us: “Sometimes we need to do things we’d rather not do, in order to get the peace that we need; to look after our own well-being and to return to a healthy state. Decisions we may make may hurt others at times. Sometimes it hurts us too… Sometimes there are no good choices, just painful ones… Sometimes that’s just how real life is.”
In embracing our Excelerated Life™, we are attempting to live a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service. It isn’t always easy, but it is always possible. And it’s a choice. You can flourish where you are planted.
Flourishing = Thriving
“The simplest definition of the word flourish, is to thrive. We all want to thrive right? But how do we do that when we’re faced with trials, challenges and circumstances that seem like they are out of our control? I think a better definition of flourish is: To grow or develop in a healthy way, especially as the result of a favorable environment.” ~ Jamila
But as we’ve seen above, we don’t always have a favorable environment. In fact, if you are waiting till everything is acting in your favor and things are going just the way you want, it’s unlikely you’ll ever flourish. As Earl Nightingale said, you’re like the person sitting in front of a cold fireplace and saying, “Give me heat, then I’ll put in some wood.”
The good news is, we have a choice, you and I. We can choose how we respond to trouble, to bad news, and to a less-than-perfect environment. We can choose to find “the seed of good” in adversity. And when we do that, when we take steps to increase our positivity, our positive affect, we increase our ability to bounce back from difficulty and disappointment, we can deal with adversity more open-mindedly, and we see more solutions to setbacks we encounter. [Fredrickson]
Like the wildflower seed, when you find yourself in a less-than-favorable environment or situation, you can choose to flourish where you are planted.
Meeting the Challenge
Of course, it’s easy to say we have a choice and we can choose to respond in positive ways. It becomes much more difficult when we have to do the choosing. But just because it may seem difficult doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
According to Maureen Gaffney, an experienced clinical and academic psychologist and international consultant, there are four elements of flourishing.
- Challenge – a demand that you do something, overcome an obstacle.
- Connectivity – awareness of what is happening inside you and outside of you.
- Autonomy – feeling free to move and act to face the challenge.
- Using valued competencies – e.g., your Signature Strengths and other skills and talents.
[Gaffney]
The first step in flourishing during adversity, flourishing where you are planted, is to stop asking, “Why me? Why is this happening to me?” and ask instead, “What is life expecting of me right now?”
Bloom Where You Are Planted
Here are simple suggestions to help you flourish, when you are facing adversity and when you are not.
Three Good Things. For this exercise, write down three good things that happened to you today. These can be big (“I got that promotion!”) or small (“I found a parking place close to the store.”). Then, if you feel so inclined, answer one (or more) of these questions: “Why did this good thing happen?” “How did this make me feel?” “How can I get more of this good thing?”
See (and Feel) the Roots. Before a plant can flourish, it must develop a strong root system. Look inside yourself. Can you feel yourself growing stronger, or learning from the adversity, and putting down strong roots of understanding?
Get Rid of the Weeds. Could weeds be growing around you and choking out your flourishing plant? Take stock of unhealthy habits, unhelpful thoughts, or unmet obligations that you need to control and get rid of. What is one small step, one weed you could pull up today?
Feed and Water Your Seeds. It’s important, even in difficult times, to engage in a little self-care. Be sure you are getting sufficient rest and sleep, that you are eating enough but not too much, and that you are getting some easy movement in each day. Also, find some small things you enjoy – cooking, reading, walking in nature, or whatever it is for you – and try to do something each day.
Reap What You Sow. Through all this, remember, we reap what we sow. When you sow seeds of discouragement, you’ll reap a discouraging harvest. When you sow seeds of anger, you’ll reap a harvest of anger. But sow seeds of caring and love, and you’ll reap caring and love in return.
Putting Ideas into Action
To see how to put these suggestions to use, consider Paulette. After ten years at her job, she was released due to downsizing in the company. Let’s see how she was able to bloom where she was planted.
Even in the midst of job loss, Paulette realized that there are still good moments each day. At the end of her day, she listed: (1) “I had a great conversation with an old friend,” (2) “I updated my resume and made it stronger,” (3)”I took a long walk in the park today.” By reflecting on why these good things happened and how they felt, Paulette shifted her focus from loss to gratitude and opportunity.
Losing a job is tough, but it can also be a period of growth. Paulette recognized that she was learning resilience, adaptability, and patience. And she took time to reflect on how this challenge had made her stronger.
Self-doubt and negative thinking can creep in after a job loss or any other downturn. Paulette identified beliefs such as “I am unworthy” or “I’ll never find another job” as “weeds”. She pulled those weeds by replacing the unhelpful thoughts with: “I have valuable skills, and I will find the right opportunity.”
Job searching can be stressful, so self-care is key. Paulette set a routine to be sure she got enough sleep. She made sure to eat nutritious meals. And she included small joys in her day, like reading a good book or exercising. These small acts of self-care helped Paulette maintain motivation and energy.
Finally, instead of sowing frustration and hopelessness, Paulette focused on sowing connection and positivity. Reaching out to her network of friends, helping others in small ways, and approaching the job search with hope and persistence helped create a more positive outcome in the long run.
Paulette’s approach transformed adversity into a period of personal growth and renewal. How could you use these ideas to flourish where you are planted?
Actions to Help You Flourish Where You Are Planted
Someone (actually, it may have been me) once said that life is like riding a Ferris wheel. Sometimes you’re riding high on top, sometimes you’re stuck at the bottom. But as we have seen, we can bloom where we are planted and flourish in the up times and in the down times.
Here are five actions you can take to flourish, both in good times and in challenging times.
When Things Are Going Well:
- Express Gratitude Daily – Take time each day to acknowledge what’s going well in your life. Write down three things you’re grateful for or share your appreciation with someone.
- Invest in Relationships – Strengthen connections with friends, family, and your community. Celebrate wins together and offer support when needed.
- Challenge Yourself – Set new goals, learn a skill, or take on a project that excites you. Growth fuels continued flourishing.
- Give Back – When life is good, share your energy and resources by volunteering, mentoring, or helping someone in need.
- Prioritize Self-Care – Maintain healthy habits like regular exercise, quality sleep, and activities that bring joy and relaxation.
When Things Are Not Going Well:
- Find Three Good Things – No matter how difficult the day, write down three positive moments. This shifts focus toward resilience.
- Seek Perspective – Remind yourself that challenges are temporary. Reflect on past struggles you’ve overcome to build confidence.
- Take One Small Action – Instead of feeling overwhelmed, identify one small step you can take today to move forward.
- Stay Connected – Reach out to trusted friends, family, or a support group. Connection helps lighten burdens.
- Be Kind to Yourself – Avoid self-criticism and practice self-compassion. Speak to yourself as you would a good friend.
Whether you are currently at the top of the Ferris wheel, stuck on the bottom, or are somewhere in between, you have specific actions you can take to flourish where you are planted. Make a plan and begin one of these actions today.
Choose to Flourish
As we’ve just discussed, there are seasons in life. Some are positive, joyful, happy times, some are sad, scary, depressing times. But whatever season you find yourself living in, remember that you have the choice to flourish.
You can use some of the other Excelerated Life™ practices to help.
Excelerated Acceptance™ may be the first step: identifying and accepting the things you are struggling with.
Finding and using your Excelerated Strengths™, your Signature Strengths, is known to help improve your positive feelings.
Strengthening your Excelerated Relationships™ and nurturing ties to other people help you build a team to help you get through whatever you’re facing.
And pay special attention to the self-care practices, Excelerated Fundamentals™ and Excelerated Selffulness™, to be sure you are taking excellent care of yourself, especially in trying times.
Remember the story of the wildflower: We don’t always get to choose where we are planted in life, but we do get to choose how we grow. And while it may be difficult to see in extreme circumstances, we always have the choice to wither or to flourish. So make the choice to build your positivity and coping skills and flourish where you are planted. That’s how you embrace your Excelerated Life™!
(Please NOTE: I am neither a medical professional nor a licensed counselor. If you are struggling and simply cannot accept or move past a situation you are dealing with, I urge you to seek the assistance of a qualified professional.)
Where do you find yourself in this season of life?
Are you planted in rich soil or on rocky ground?
Either way, what is one step you can take today to flourish where you are planted?
Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Excelerated Positivity™ — building the skills that help you flourish — is one practice for creating your Excelerated Life™, a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service.
Read more about the Excelerated Life™.
Resources:
Bernock, Danielle. “Is ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted’ in the Bible? Its Origin and Meaning.” Christianity.com. Salem Web Network, August 7, 2020. Web. February 24, 2025.
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/is-bloom-where-you-are-planted-in-the-bible-origin-and-meaning.html#google_vignette
Elliott, Lisa. “10 Steps to Flourish Where You Are.” Just Between Us Magazine. Just Between Us Magazine,,. Web. February 24, 2025.
https://justbetweenus.org/overcoming-adversity/encouragement-for-today/10-steps-to-flourish-where-you-are/
Fredrickson, Ph.D., Barbara, L. Positivity. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2009.
Gaffney, Maureen. Flourishing. UK: Penguin Random House, UK. 2011.
Harris, José N. MI VIDA: A Story of Faith, Hope and Love. Xlibris, US, 2010.
Nightingale, Earl. “Lead The Field.” PDFDrive. Asaha Inc., . Web. Date July 17, 2020. PDF file.
https://www.pdfdrive.com/lead-the-field-e186040772.html
Seligman, Ph.D., Martin E. P. Flourish. New York: Free Press, 2011.
This blog post includes research information and suggestions provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. To learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, you can visit the OpenAI website.