Just yesterday, I read about a man in Maine who raises dandelions – yes actually cultivates what most of us try so fervently to kill in our gardens and yards.  There’s a good market for edible dandelion greens, you know.

Interestingly, growing dandelions isn’t as easy for this guy as you’d think.  It seems that his plants, though pampered with the best soil, the safest fertilizer and his tender care are very delicate and become susceptible to the elements and impending diseases.  Cultivated dandelions have a tendency to wither and die. To be strong and survive, they need to be in an environment with grass and other weeds, competing for sun, soil, nutrients and such iwth the other plants.

How does this apply to you and your business? How does this apply to fulfilling your vision and expressing your  leadership?

If you consider these dandelions in a field (or garden) of many plants competing for the best of conditions and ways to survive, they are the ones who not only survive but thrive.  The dandelions who are separated from any strife, deliberately coddled, handled with tender gloves are the ones who become fragile, delicate and weak.  They must fight harder to grow strong enough to endure in the world.

** Some perspective on this for YOU **

Consider that if everything you strive for was easily gained, if everything you want was quickly acquired or quickly accomplished, you wouldn’t be who you are today.  You might, in fact, become so frail that you wouldn’t survive.  You might develop the illusion that life – and business – is simple and easy, only to be destroyed at the first signs of failure or defeat.  Surely you wouldn’t stretch and grow from the blessings of challenge.  Certainly you wouldn’t develop the resilience, the agility and the ability to adapt without the blessings of adversity.  Likely, you wouldn’t develop these and other important character traits that push you to developing LEADERSHIP for yourself, your business and the world around you.

…And what would your business, your clients, your family and friends, indeed the world, do without you to lead the way?

Easy ways to USE the challenges that arise

• Welcome the challenges that come into your world as the very things that will push you to greatness instead of resisting them.
• Address these struggles as opportunities and ask yourself how you can grow, learn, develop – yourself, your business, others around you.
• Keep a journal of the obstacles that cross your path and keep a log of what you’ve learned or how you’ve grown or how your business has prospered from them.
• Share what you write in your journal as you mentor people and create Leaders around you.