Sowing Seeds for Growth 🌀
Have you felt drained, dragged and discontent this winter?
I don’t know exactly what you’re going through, but if the last couple of months have felt exhausting—if it’s taken immense energy to shift habits, beliefs, and behaviours for your betterment—you’re not alone.
For me, it’s felt like waking up from a deep evening nap. You know the kind—post-dinner, mid-show, slipping into dreamland until something jolts you awake: a child, a pet, your subconscious. Your body is still dense with melatonin, making it almost impossible to get up, turn off the lights, and drag yourself to bed.
That’s where I am. Awake, but sluggish. Wanting change, but feeling like it’s taking its sweet time. Some might call this a mindset issue. Maybe it is—if you believe it is. But I see it as an energy and timing challenge.
Sure, you can force your way forward. You can guilt-trip yourself into action. You can pretend it’s easier than it feels. You can sprint towards the finish line, stumbling all the way. But at what cost?
If you’ve been trying to move ahead, move on, move up—but it’s been slow and exhausting—I want you to know: there’s an easier way.
Following the Rhythms of Nature
There’s no single path to growth, but nature gives us clues. As somewhat evolved, sentient beings, we’re still influenced by larger cycles. Tools like astrology can offer insights in the energetic shifts within our solar system (which I use), but the simplest guide is one we’ve observed since childhood: the seasons.
Whether you live somewhere with four seasons or two, there are always seasons to sow and seasons to reap.
Right now, winter still lingers here in the UK. A bright blue sky can momentarily lift the mood, but overall, the energy is still dense—cold, dark, and bare. And yet, just beneath the surface, things are happening. Seeds have been sown. Life is incubating. A rebirth is on the horizon.
We know this. We see it every year. Blossoms return, the days stretch, and warmth seeps back in. And soon enough, we’re rewarded with nature’s harvest.
So if you feel like you’ve been sowing but not yet reaping, don’t be discouraged. Your season will turn. Your time is coming. Light will return—within and around you—making it easier to push forward, to grow, to expand.
Sprinkle, Sprinkle
Now is the time to sow your seeds. Not with force, not with added pressure — just a sprinkle here and there. A gentle, steady practice.
Maybe that’s upgrading from zero home-prepared lunches to two a week. Maybe it’s setting aside ten minutes a day to journal; to process the over or underwhelm you’ve been feeling. Maybe it’s something else entirely—some small but meaningful step that aligns with the growth you seek.
Sow it. Water it. Be patient. Water it again.
When spring arrives, your efforts will start to bloom. You’ll see the progress, refine your practice, and build momentum. Until then, it might still feel like you’re stuck in the dark, weighed down by dense energy. But let me remind you—dark, dense soil is rich in nutrients.
Hard times can be the vehicle to a softer life. Pain and toil enrich our inner landscape. That doesn’t mean struggle is the only growth path. But it does mean that the challenges we face, and overcome, allow us to reap a bountiful harvest, including better tools to use when sowing more seeds.
Find Light Within The Dark
Yes, these darker days require perseverance and faith. But they also ask for lightness. Just as the universe gradually increases the daylight, you, too, can increase the frequency of small, simple joys in your day.
Where can you find the light today?
A comedy that jolts you out of a low mood?
A walk through a woodland of evergreens, taking in winter’s quiet beauty?
A moment of R&R — like the Swedish massage I gifted myself recently?
A comforting, seasonally apt meal? Miso Ramen Soup anyone?
Spending time, being present with a loved one?
One of my simple joys is enjoying a warm, nourishing bowl of porridge. It just sparks a little fire within. And yet, I’ve barely had it this winter. Maybe that’s part of why this season has felt pretty dark.
So I invite you (and myself) to find helpful comforts amidst the discomfort. Not the vices that leave you feeling worse, but the ones that truly support you. I know firsthand how hard it is to shift away from habits that bring temporary relief but long-term guilt. It takes time. It takes effort. But I promise—there are other ways.
We don’t have to chase a high to find relief.
We can keep sowing our seeds, watering them, finding moments of light, and repeating the process.
Growth will come. The season will shift. And when it does, you’ll be ready.
