Don’t Get Stuck
By Jim Sollecito
We are at the conclusion of an unforgettable year and the conception of yet another unknowable one — with many of the same unanswerable questions.
No need to become overwhelmed at what may or may not happen. As we look every day for something positive to build on, two things are apparent: 1) Nature always wins and 2) We don’t get to make the rules.
Of course, change is difficult. But if you stop changing then you stop growing. And the ability to persevere and grow is like having an emotional muscle. And all muscles need exercise. Use it or lose it.
We can accept the fact that much of what we commonly enjoy is on pause and likely will be for some time. We can deal with that. In the meantime, find out what’s inside of you. Grow your soul. Do things this year because you enjoy them, not merely because you are good at them. If you do a variety of things that stretch and teach you, life will be more interesting.
It’s not as much fun growing older as I had hoped. It’s weird being the age that I used to consider old.
One of the reasons I cherish my time fishing is that as an older person I choose to do it at a different pace. I take the time to make the next cast just a bit crisper than the previous one. I work on the process, instead of merely focusing on the results. Fly-fishing forces me to focus on the next few seconds, not the future in general. I find it helps cleanse my mind of some of the debris that clutters positivity and creativity. When I am not physically on the water, I am mentally rehearsing. You may not fish but you probably have a goal in mind. Imagine the possibilities.
What you lack in experience you can make up with passion.
And as we hope that our new normal eventually reprises some of the old, here are two light posts that have helped guide me for more decades that I can remember. 1) I’d rather look back on my life and say “I can’t believe I did that” than think to myself “I wish I’d tried that.” And 2) One of the happiest moments ever, is when I found the courage to let go of what I could not change. I still struggle with that one.
I consider myself very lucky in my nearly half-century career and I anticipate I will plant until I am planted. Plants always make people happy. Our team just keeps getting better. And I am so very excited about the new varieties we have planned for spring.
Improved plant selections stay smaller and produce more flower color with less work. As together we meet and greet 2021, let’s not get stuck. We’ll keep gaining positive traction. Let’s see where this journey takes us. And by the way, this old truck is not wearing its mask correctly. Look where it got him. Remember Walter Cronkite? He was “the most trusted man in America.” Fellow Cornellian and scientist Dr. Anthony Fauci is my beacon now.