The Purple Flower
July 16th, 2020 by Diane Conklin under Business Strategy, Marketing. No Comments.
I pulled in the driveway like I had hundreds of times before… and I didn’t notice anything different than I ever had. As usual, I was focused on other “things”.
As I got out of the car and walked toward the front door… there it was. One, single purple flower in what might have once been a flower garden but is now just a grass covered area in the yard.
One, single purple flower sticking out of the ground. All by itself, not another flower, or anything but grass, anywhere in sight. Nowhere!
It was if the flower was softly communicating the message “look at me… I’m special… I’m the only flower in this entire yard… aren’t I pretty and unique – don’t I stand out?” And, it did it all that without doing anything other than being a geranium (I think).
How do you become the lone purple flower in the yard of green grass?
How do you stand out? How do you be so different that you dare to be so opposite as anyone else?
It can be scary being the one to stand out and be different from every other single person you see and all those you’re close to.
It isn’t necessarily about calling attention to yourself. Not in a bragging, in your face kind of way at least. It’s about just being who you are… the best of who you are. With confidence, grace and authenticity.
That flower wasn’t waving its hands, yelling, or intentionally calling attention to itself. It was just being a flower. A pretty purple flower.
So many times, especially when we’re in groups, but we do it all the time when we think we are supposed to “fit in,” we try to turn ourselves into something we aren’t. We try to be like everyone else. And, we try to be liked by everyone too.
The geranium didn’t try to be a blade of grass to fit in. It didn’t dull its bright, brilliant shade of purple. It sprouted up out of the ground and stood tall as a geranium. After all, it couldn’t have ever been a blade of grass anyway… no matter how hard it tried. All that would have done was dulled its edges. And, it would have caused unnecessary pain for the geranium too.
Just like you and me.
By the way, the very next day, when I walked outside, that brilliant, lone purple flower was gone. Not a trace of it anywhere. It made me feel like it popped up out of the ground just for me. So I would see it. So I would get this lesson. And, be able to pass it on to you.
To Your Success –
