Are You a Late Bloomer?

each bud emerges
when conditions meet its needs
embrace your own pace

I have a confession:

I don’t bounce out of bed in the morning, ready to go. My day starts slowly. That’s how I roll, both in my day and other parts of my life.

And when I compare myself to others, I often feel behind.

My dad used to tell people that I was a “late bloomer.”

I heard that story so often that I believed it was true.

This time of year offers a powerful rebuttal to that story. As it turns out, there are no “late bloomers.”

Look around at nature. The blooming of spring is not instantaneous for any tree, and the trees and flowers bloom at different times.

Every flower and tree blooms on its own schedule. None is “late” or “early.” Each is in its own time.

Trying to force a bud to open early won’t help. You cannot will it to open any earlier than it is ready.

Manifesting won’t work here.

It will open only when the conditions are right for what it needs.

The time, temperature, soil, sunlight — all of these must be aligned with the needs of that particular bud.

Some plants require more sun, and some require more shade.

Each part of nature has its own conditions, rhythm, and pace for coming into its potential.

Being human does not exempt us from the laws of nature.

Learning to embrace our own pace and not compare to others is a lesson of a lifetime.

We can best honor ourselves by turning the lens of inquiry inward to investigate the conditions that facilitate our blooming.

We cannot create the conditions that we need to bloom until we identify what they are.

Here are some journaling prompts to help you create awareness of your requirements.