I was sitting in the passenger’s seat of the car waiting for the lights to change. Rain was pelting down and the windscreen wipers were going at full speed. Back and forth they went, pushing water across the windshield; back and forth, over and over and over. With each complete sweep, the wiper arms created an arc of cleared windscreen which allowed improved vision of the road ahead. That is, all except for the top left corner, which meant that part of my outlook was obscured by heavy rain running unhindered over a slightly grubby bit of glass.

I found this partial view quite frustrating as it distorted my view of what was ahead of me. It didn’t matter how many times those wipers went across the windscreen or how fast they went; they continued on the same path, missing the same crucial bit of the window that would have let me see my environment and the road ahead with greater clarity.

It made me think of the ancient Chines proverb that says, ‘insanity is doing the same thing in the same way and expecting a different outcome’. Deep down we know this, but in practice we often ignore it and keep on with beliefs and behaviours that get us nowhere. Instead of trying something different we often just try harder and then act surprised that we are no closer to achieving our goal or desired outcome. As with the windscreen wipers, we continue to miss part of the picture, as our vision is somewhat obscured because we are stuck in a rut.

To be effective in bringing about change in our life, or moving forward towards an important goal, sometimes we need to reassess our situation and adjust our thinking and our actions to bring about a better outcome.

• How have you changed direction by changing what you do or think?
  
• Was this easy?
  
• What helped?

It’s spring; my favourite time of year. I’m busy in the garden tidying away winter decay, planting seeds and seedlings and feeding everything in preparation for the spurt of new growth and fruitfulness. I find it really invigorating, despite the high workload. Each day holds new delights as everything puts out fresh leaves and begins to flower. Sadly though, three of my favourite plants, all with stunning purple flowers, seem to have died during winter. I was really upset and disappointed to lose such lovely plants that I had expected to be focal points in my garden. But I got caught up in bemoaning my losses too soon!

Yes, crickets and frost finished off my beautiful delicate tibouchina bush and none of my efforts were successful in saving it. However, I noticed that the elegant climbing clematis had quietly sent up one tiny new shoot from deep in the ground and it is now over a metre tall. I’m looking forward to it flowering again soon. And in the front garden the very unusual-looking tradescantia has come away again and is already well established, ready for another year’s brilliant display. I gave up on them too soon because I hadn’t realised that they die down each winter and come back again each spring.

Sometimes it can be like this with our dreams. We might go through a tough winter-like time in our lives where pressures and difficult circumstances rob us of our enthusiasm and motivation. We can feel as if nothing makes a difference to the gradual loss of the goals that once seemed so important to us. Sometimes there are unavoidable reasons that some things won’t eventuate for us, and we should grieve those losses thoroughly. But at other times, quite unexpectedly, from deep within us something stirs into life again and growth begins, imperceptibly at first, and then gaining in momentum. At times like this we begin to believe again in the fulfilment of our cherished hopes and dreams and work with increased vigour and purposefulness towards doing all we can to make those special dreams come true.

• What dreams have resurfaced in your life lately?
• How does this make you feel?
• What are you doing with renewed enthusiasm, to make them come true?

It’s spring! All through the months of various viruses and ills that have besieged us all winter, I have been longing for this day. Spring: season of increased hopefulness, new possibilities and the promise of good things to come. The fallow season is past and everything feels fresh and clear and clean again. The world is transformed into a place of beauty and light. The last few days have been completely focused on preparing for the coming weeks and months of intense new growth and productivity. Old dead branches have been pruned, seeds have been sown in the greenhouse, and established plants have been fed and mulched in anticipation of renewed fruitfulness and vigour.

I always feel lighter and brighter at this time of year. Yes, there will still be cold days and maybe even a few more frosts, but I feel warmer inside because spring is here. Winter bugs may give way to hay fever and spring colds, but when the sun is shining it doesn’t all seem quite as bad. Suddenly there is a riot of colour all around me as bulbs bloom and flowers burst out throughout the garden. Even people in the street are dressed more brightly as the darker clothing favoured by many during winter is shut away in the deep recesses of wardrobes and lighter brighter clothing is liberated from winter storage.

Our life has seasons of springtime too: times when the hard work and effort begins to bear fruit and we can see evidence of growth and transformation happening. Each indication of progress and renewal increases our sense of joy. A second meaning of the word spring is to leap or to skip. That’s what it feels like when we realise that change and personal growth is possible and is beginning to take place. We feel lighter and freer as we embrace further possibilities that lie ahead of us. Spring has yet another meaning too. It can be a source of life-giving water bubbling up from the ground. Likewise, we have within us all the resources we need to thrive and to flourish.

How will you embrace the joy of springtime?
What evidence of growth do you recognise in your own life?
How do you celebrate your own personal transformations?

I’ve just spent a satisfying and productive day tidying up my pot plants. Here in New Zealand it is coming up to spring, and after a winter largely defined by colds and nasty prolonged viruses, I am eager for the fresh growth and blossoming that comes with this new season. So I gave each plant some close and loving attention; trimming away any dead or dying leaves, clearing away fallen bits and pieces, and checking for any bugs lurking under the foliage. I then scraped away some of the old depleted soil, topped the pots up with a good potting mix and gently watered in some well-balanced slow release fertilizer to provide the very best environment I could for the new growth that will shortly begin. In fact, the growth is already underway out of sight, as the plant stores nutrients in its roots and stems in readiness for putting out new leaves and the buds that will become flowers as the weather becomes warmer.

It’s pretty much like that for us when we wish to grow and develop personally. A lot goes on under the surface that may not be visible for a while. You may need to clear away unhelpful attitudes and habits that are holding you back from being all that you can be. You can do this without being hard on yourself, and a gentle step at a time is usually the best way to go about things. Then you can begin to provide the very best environment for your personal growth. You can nourish yourself by balancing quiet contemplative and restorative time alone with spending time with positive supportive people. Getting out into nature or taking some time to stretch your creativity can be extremely fulfilling. A combination of physical exercise and mental challenge keeps you on our toes and finding ways to relax and unwind that suit you feed into the mix to provide great soil in which to plant your intentions to be the best that you can, and find ways of living that bring you the greatest levels of joy and satisfaction.

What small steps will you take today to prepare yourself for your next time of personal growth and self-development?