Lessons from Celery.

Have you ever cut celery?  You normally cut off the stalks an inch from the bottom, throw that stump in the trash, and continue chopping up the rest of the stalks.

There have been a lot of moments in my life that are like those celery stalk bottoms, in the form of  mistakes, failures, and things that I'm not too proud of.  And similar to when I'm in the kitchen, it's easier to whisk them off the cutting board, open up the trash can, haphazardly dump them in, shut the lid, and forget about them.

But recently, I've taken a good look at my life and realized that those 'mistakes' and 'failures' were huge bridges and building blocks in creating who I am today.

I don't like focusing on the past, but sometimes it's good to examine those 'stumps,' and let them sit for awhile.  Don't hate on them, love them.  Accept them as a necessary part of your journey.  Shine a little light on those issues instead of sweeping them under the rug.

And you will discover that with time, something amazing will emerge.  What you first thought was 'trash' always has the potential for growth, for new life.

Some things just need more water, love, and sunshine to grow again.

Life doesn't promise us an easy path.  But stay the course and stay courageous, no matter how hard the winds may blow.

So if you have a bunch of celery stems in your career path, your relationships, or even in your sport, accept them, give them some attention and know that nothing in life is a waste- everything has the potential for new life and new direction.