People are Plants?! / Find a Bigger Container

At 15 years old, I spawned a lawn-mowing empire. I was paid in cash, learned how to skilfully mow my way around garden gnomes, and life was good. But as soon as I traded grass-stained jeans for corporate suits, I kept hitting limits. Limits on goals ("those aren't realistic"), limits on happiness (actual words: "you smile too much"...?!), limits on creativity ("we have a corporate template email you need to use, you can't write your own"), limits on experimenting, curiosity, growth, and enthusiasm. So I kept seeking bigger containers to grow in, so to speak. I kind of picture myself like a big flowering plant, having started out in the world as a tiny sprout. Anyway - I am now in arguably THE biggest container in the corporate world (Amazon). And it's kind of terrifying.

The scope is global, the work impacts millions, the goals are stratospheric, the tools are cutting-edge, the talent here is crazy amounts of intelligent and inventive, and I am constantly finding my bearings. I have to bring my best, weirdest most growing self to the table every.single.day. IT'S ALSO PRETTY AWESOME.

So if you're reading this and you keep hitting limits, don't just work harder... look for a bigger container. It could mean finding friends who are more open-minded and like to go out and actually DO fun stuff; a partner who will appreciate and grow with you; learning a new skill or game (I'm reading books every night before bed; ask me for my favorite reads!); or a new, inspiring work team (small companies can be big containers too! or maybe look into self-employment!). Just do something. KEEP MOVING. Leave if you have to. The process of container-hopping SUCKS A LOT sometimes, but nothing feels worse than shrinking to fit in any kind of place where you don't feel accepted and inspired for the big, beautiful, flowering plant/person that you are.

And use cold water and vinegar to get grass stains out of jeans, works every time :-)