Monday Motivation: 5 December
Got the Monday blues? Reclaim the day and set the tone for the entire week with these helpful, motivational tidbits:
Happy World Soil Day!
Today marks World Soil Day, whereby we celebrate the soil beneath our feet and advocate the sustainability of healthy ecosystems. Our future relies on healthy soil for food, trees and flowers – and speaking of flowers, it’s good to stop and smell them every once and a while, and not just the roses!
Flowers need solid, healthy soil to take root, grow and bloom – similarly, you need to set a solid foundation for yourself so that it gives rise to endurance, strength, pride and optimism.
With a little help from flower language, you can take a cue from these three flowers in your everyday life:
Foxtail Lily
Also known as Eremurus (from the Greek words ekemos (“solitary”) and oura (“tall”)), the foxtail lilies are known for their tall stems, bearing clusters of star-shaped flowers that are usually yellow, white, purple or pink in colour. They are known to grow in temperate, arid and hard-to-reach areas of Europe and Asia, where they are able to flourish and withstand their harsh conditions.
It’s apt, then, that the lily stands as a symbol for endurance. Endurance can develop your mental and physical resilience and fortitude, which allows you to build upon (or help you realise) your burgeoning strength.
Camassia
Growing across meadows in western North America, Camassias (or Camas, which comes from the Nez Perce Indian word for “sweet”) bear an abundance of six, star-shaped petals that are usually blue, purple or white. They typically bloom during summer and spring, and were primarily used as a food source by Native Americans.
In flower language, they symbolise strength and pride. To build these, it’s sometimes good to step back and re-evaluate yourself: perhaps you want to take up a new hobby, learn a new skill, try out a new form of exercise or improve your food choices for a healthier, long-lasting life. Don’t be afraid to do any of these things – let your pride and strength grow, which will in turn boost your self-confidence levels and sense of optimism.
Chrysanthemums
Native to East Asia and northeastern Europe, chrysanthemums (from the Greek word khrusanthemon, meaning “gold ‘flower”) are long, tubular and quill-shaped, and they come in a wide range of colours from yellow, orange and red to white, pink, lavender and purple.
Like bursts of fireworks, it’s no wonder they inspire – and symbolise! – optimism and joy. So, let your happiness and enthusiasm burst in big, bright colours and shine in moments of despairing greyness. In other words, let your joy bloom!
