In August 2017, the driest desert in the world, the Atacama in Chile, experienced an astonishing phenomenon. Within a few days of an untypical downpour, monotonous sand and rock were transformed into a colourful carpet of over 200 different kinds of flower.
Photographers came from all over the world to record an event which normally takes place every six to seven years. 2017’s sensation however, came on the heels of a similar occurence just two years before.
How does a desert bloom like this and what does it mean for us as we seek to survive and thrive in tough times?
It’s all to do with cacti, adaptability and taking the long-term view.
Spreading The Seed
Cacti like many plants, rely on the insect and bird world to pollinate.1 Through bird droppings particularly, their seeds are dispersed over a wide area, to lie dormant, waiting for the right conditions to germinate. The thin, dry desert soil contains vast numbers of these seeds but of course, it can’t provide the nutrients or water the seeds need to grow and flower. Fascinatingly, this dispersal of seeds goes on for months or, as we’ve seen, even years, until one day, when the rains come, they burst into life.
My interest in cacti was first piqued on a trip to Sheffield Winter Garden a few years ago. While admiring the variety of plants, mostly unknown to me, I paused at the display information about cacti. What I read left me amazed at the relevance these plants have for anyone who wants to survive and thrive in tough times and build their resilience.
Adversity In The Desert
Cacti have to cope with more adversity than we may think. For example, they face the rigours of natural sand-blasting when the wind whips up. There are predators too: herbivores which may have nothing else to eat apart from desert plants. Then there are the extremes of temperature and the poor nutrient content of desert soils, not to mention of course the droughts which can last years.
Doesn’t life feel like this when you’re going through a tough time?
Your Adversity
Whether living with pain, financial problems, loneliness or depression, even a good day feels like a drought. On a bad day, there’s the occasional sandstorm of more misfortune, assailants who seem to make things worse and the constant fluctuation of events outside our control.
Here’s the thing. Cacti have adapted over the millennia to live with adversity and disperse their seeds not knowing when they will germinate. In order to continue to reproduce, they have found ways of maximising their capacity to absorb and retain moisture, to ward off predators and survive on low levels of soil nutrition. And all the time bats, bees and many other creatures continue to assist with pollination.
In short, they are perhaps the most resilient of plants.
So what can we learn from a desert in bloom as we seek to become more resilient to life’s extremes? What can the humble and often unlovely cactus teach us about how to survive and thrive in tough times?
The Cactus And Us
When times are tough, it’s sometimes difficult to see a future. Viktor Frankl, the author of Man’s Search for Meaning2, wrote how he knew he might not survive the concentration camps but nevertheless gave himself a purpose. He envisaged giving lectures after the war on his experiences in the camps and took secret notes to that effect. Even when faced with the setback of his notes being destroyed, he decided to re-write them and improve them.
Although I didn’t see my future in terms of a blooming desert, I realise now that I sowed seeds for my future and gave myself a purpose during over 12 years of illness. For example, I qualified as a coach and began thinking about Wacky Dai. I started to think about how I could help other people to survive and thrive their own tough times. I researched and experimented with resilience strategies and reflected on my experiences. I read and discussed and planned for a future which I didn’t know for sure was going to come.
Our Own Future
The lesson?
Taking responsibility for your future means sowing seeds now, not when conditions are right.
Some of the seeds we can sow are
- putting deposits into the emotional bank account of our most important relationships3
- performing regular good deeds for other people to improve their wellbeing and ours
- active learning to put ourselves in a better position to take advantage of new professional opportunities
- building small habits to improve health and fitness
- journaling to record and reflect on our experiences
- starting to meditate
Most importantly, you will decide what is going to be important to you. You get to decide what actions you can take now to build your future brick by brick.
Summary
What are the seeds you need to sow now to make sure that one day, your garden can flower and grow? Who could help you to sow those seeds? How can you look after yourself in the meantime to survive your own challenges?
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Photo by Largo Polacsek
- Thanks to Wikipedia for expanding my knowledge of cacti.
- Frankl, Viktor E; Man’s Search for Meaning; Rider 2004.
- Covey, Stephen R; The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People; Simon and Schuster 2004.