NEVER ALLOW GRASS TO GROW UNDER YOUR FEET

A few days ago I attended a board meeting with fellow Trustees and got chatting to one of my very good friend Jonathan, conversation was flowing and he remarked, “You never let grass grow under your feet…”. This was the first time I had ever heard about this phrase and later on my way back home while seated on the train my mind drifted away. I thought about how the day had been very productive and the challenging issues we were grappling with but more importantly could not shift thinking about grass growing under my feet.

Lets step back for a minute and identify the process of grass growth. Literally thinking what happens when grass grows, it sometimes grows quite rapidly, following specific steps resulting in the green stuff we see everywhere and in many cases it will grow regardless of whether its given attention on not. This process can be quite detailed and intricate and in many cases we only see the end product. Seed germination is simply the growth process that occurs when the seed absorbs sufficient moisture to start sprouting. This is regulated by soil temperature according to the variety of grass. The hull, or hard outer casing, may delay this process until conditions are favorable.

Within a seed, when conditions are right to begin germination, specific cells within the germ tissue divide and expand, pushing the apical meristem contained in the seed out of the seed. A tube-like organ protects the first leaf blade while pushing through the soil, eventually breaking through the crust of the soil. Then the first leaf unfurls. Additional leaves will quickly develop if conditions are right.

Now we can clearly see this process is intricate and breathtaking. How does that relate to us letting grass grow under our feet and how can we make sure grass never grows under our feet. Not letting grass grow under your feet means getting on and doing what needs to be done, not wasting time or to not delay doing something. You do something immediately and properly.

Sometimes life happens in such a way that our independence and ability is move forward to slowed down or taken away. Take for instance if you lose your loved one, you are diagnosed with a terminal ailment, you lose your job or your business crumbles or the people you depended on let you down drastically. In those moments you have a choice to either break down, sit down and wait for this challenging period to pass or you can identify and understand that this is out of your control and all that’s within your control is how you decide to react to these circumstances, pick yourself up and move ahead.

The human species is confronted with political, economic and social tensions that avoid degenerating into chaos because they are propped up daily by impressive balancing acts, but at any moment, for a random or even minor reason, they can explode into crises that overwhelm everyone involved and easily destroy life as we know it. To this must be added the real or perceived changes in our broader environment, such as global warming or urban decay. These, too, have the means to trigger seriously destabilizing crises. Throw in mix the risks of criminal or terrorist acts, and the picture begins to emerge in all its complexity and fragility. Consider what could happen if the social media rhetoric escalates between Mr Trump and Mr Kim Jong Un. In UK, Brexit presents tremendous opportunities and threats and we should be prepared to mitigate these challenges and fully embrace the opportunities ahead however we will not be able to excel and move forward if we are living in the past or allowing grass to grow under our feet.

What remains clear though in all these factors and changes in how each and every individual has the power and capacity to respond to these challenges and changes? Some people certainly have more power and authority to influence the direction humanity takes however on a personal level we can either be bound by these uncontrollable factors or we can be freed by the understanding that we can change our own circumstances and lives starting with changing the way we think, view the world and our actions on a daily basis.

“The longer I love, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church….a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.” Words of famous Pastor and author Charles R. Swindoll

By not letting grass grow under your feet, you are not standing still waiting for the tide and rain to pass and stop but you are learning to dance and play in the rain. You identify that you are not where you wanted to be but you are moving in the right direction, you are not oblivious of the facts however your attitude and determination ensures that you see the opportunities ahead of you. Today make the declaration that you will do everything in your power to embrace the future to vicarious enthusiasm, identify the opportunities ahead of you and ensure each day is lived with resolute purpose and intent.

1. Set Realistic Goals, keep it SMART
2. Challenge yourself by moving out of your comfort zone for nothing exceptional happens in this zone
3. Always have a positive outlook on life even in the most difficult of circumstances

Lets be a generation that’s makes sure grass is not growing under our feet