The other day, as I stood watering my raspberry plants, I noticed how stark of a difference there was between the plants. Many of my raspberry plants are stunted.  They are in pots of varying sizes which have limited their resources for nutrients, their space for growth, and their depth for solid and strong roots. My raspberry plants are only 6-8 inches tall and produce about 5 berries each, while the plants that grew in the ground are 5 feet tall with many berries. The contrast of sizes and production of fruit is striking. These stunted raspberries are alive, healthy and doing what they can but they aren’t reaching their potential.

As I noticed this, I saw myself.  I saw us.

We, like these raspberry plants, are planted in places that can either limit our growth, or encourage it. But we have even more control than we realize.  While I have chosen where to plant my raspberries, we choose where to plant ourselves.

Do we plant ourselves in a small, medium or large pot? Or no pot at all?

We make that choice.

We choose how we think about ourselves.

We choose if we are capable or not.

We choose what to feed ourselves physically, mentally & emotionally.
 
Why do we “plant” ourselves in the different sizes of pots, or in any pots at all? Why do we hold ourselves back? Why don’t we step outside of our comfort zone? Why is it that we need assurance of results before working towards a goal?

Do we tell ourselves that it is safer that way? Or better for us? Do we convince ourselves it is only temporary?

Take a moment to think about it.

What would it be like if you chose to believe in yourself?  Imagine the freedom.  Imagine the growth.  Imagine the joy that would come from giving yourself space to be YOU.

You could become who you dream of becoming.

Wouldn’t that feel amazing?

The only limits that exist are the ones you set for yourself.

You are amazing and have something to offer the world. You are uniquely you and with that, you have a light only you can share. The good news is that only you can stop you.

So what are you going to choose for yourself?