26 Mar A Story about Sunflowers and Becoming Your Best Self

Ever since I was a little girl, sunflowers have been my favorite flower.

Growing up, every Summer my dad would take us to to visit family in Spain, in a little town in Guadalajara. I got to meet so many people, be immersed in a different language, and eat lots of new and yummy food.

At the end of the trip, my dad would take me to visit a sunflower field. I marveled at these flowers, they were a bright happy yellow and were so robust and tall. I always got to pick one to take home and I remember how my dad had to work hard to pick it from the ground.

As they grow, sunflowers move by following the sun. They need direct sunlight to grow tall, strong, and bloom into their vibrant yellow color.

Only with the nurturing light and warm environment they can fully develop into beautiful flowers. If they’re not in the right environment, they don’t bloom.

I’ve seen myself reflected in these flowers. I’m tall, blonde, and like to think that I’m a positive and vibrant person — and I also need the right environment to grow and be happy.

I need a supportive culture that’s warm, inclusive, and with a shared purpose. In a culture like this, I bloom and produce my best work and can be my most authentic self.

I’ve been in environments where I didn’t feel valued, recognized, or happy. As I was living it I didn’t realize it, but I blamed myself for not being good enough or somehow flawed. But no, in a brief moment of clarity I decided to make a change and switch up my environment, either by removing myself or shifting who and what I kept around me.

I can tell you that every time I made these changes, I saw an incredible shift in my life. Things got a lot brighter.

Let’s revert back to our sunflowers.

When sunflowers fully mature, they stop moving and live pretty autonomously. They need light but they’re happy and can manage on their own rhythm.

They can stand on their own feet. In the right environment, they can grow and need less support to be their best selves.

To me, sunflowers are the perfect example of a flower that can become so strong and sturdy with the right care.

So here’s my thought: aren’t we all like sunflowers a little bit?

In the right environment, we can all grow strong and live our “best life”.

Now, to you — If you’re not in the right environment, you won’t bloom or be happy, so remove yourself. We often blame ourselves for not being happy. But remember, sometimes it’s not you but the environment you’re in.

So why not take a chance and make a change? You may see incredible results.