Acting On Faith

Have you ever worked toward something and wondered if your efforts were paying off? 

It is an understandable feeling when you are investing significant time and energy to pursue a certain direction.

I can think of several times in my life when I felt this way.  Now as I coach others, I see that this is a distinct stage of growth: acting on faith, even while eager for proof.

Proof Positive

Then, seemingly from out of nowhere, something peeks through, proof positive that your efforts were worth it. 

When this happens it may seem to the outside world that the results were sudden – an overnight occurrence.   You’ll know, however, that it was the result of a long held intention that you nurtured and acted upon. 

When Paula, a sales executive, announced her resignation from a role at which she had excelled for most of her career, people around her were surprised.  She accepted a very different and challenging position with the company and, around the same time, felt a tangible improvement in what had been a difficult family situation at home. 

There had been a time when she questioned where her efforts would lead, yet everything was coming together now.

Growth Is Happening

When a bamboo plant grows, three to five years will pass with no shoots appearing above the ground.  During this time, the colony of roots is being established.  Once the shoots emerge, bamboo will grow about a foot per day.  Some of the giant bamboo species can grow 1-3 feet within a 24 hour period, reaching their full size (60-80 feet) in just two months.  In addition to this unique growth pattern, bamboo is known for its extreme flexibility.
 
What can you do with this bamboo trivia?  Keep it as a visual and let it remind you to:
 
Act on Faith: What seeds have you planted to manifest your vision?  Tend to them by continuing to take action, even before proof of success is apparent.  Recall a specific time in your life when everything seemed to come together.  What preceded that forward movement? 
 
Let Your Efforts Take Root: Once you have planted the seeds, all you need to do is keep watering and allow them to take root.  Growth is happening.  Proof will come.  What you are creating will become visible at the exact right time. 

Be Flexible:  When things get moving and the results of your efforts go “above ground” – out there for the world to see – be flexible as you adapt to your changing environment.

 "Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly
the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives.”
– Mary Ann Brussat