“The true voyage of discovery is not just in seeking out new landscapes, but in seeing with new eyes.” (Marcel Proust)

Last summer I planted swiss chard spinach, a few plants in fact. Not many survived because I planted them late in the summer and wasn’t diligent about watering them daily. When winter came along I thought they would dry out and perish with the cold. To my surprise, this single plant came through the cold patches to thrive and grow new leaves, astonishing in their vibrant green-ness.

Because I live in an area that has mild winters it is not surprising that the plant survived. I read that it can survive for many years under these conditions. The more you cut off the leaves, the more resilient it becomes.

Now any plant in my garden needs to be resilient because I am not the best gardener. Tough hardy plants grow well with me.

“Resilient, strong, tough, hardy, adaptable, vigorous – these are all adjectives used to describe someone who is a warrior…as well as to describe plants as botanical warriors in their own right.” (http://eatbreathegarden.com/warrior-plants/)

The metaphor of plants that grow and adapt to their environment often is used to describe people who are warriors – those who thrive in adversity, moving forward all the time, learning from mistakes and successes, to become better versions of themselves each and every new day.

Google searches on warrior mindsets yield a variety of articles about business being a war and winning against others at all costs. I have a different view.

Cultivating a warrior mindset is first and foremost about YOU.

You – becoming a better version of yourself. Practicing self-reflection, gratitude, and humility, cultivating a mindset of growth and learning, continuously. Living your life, unapologetically. Seeking to make a positive impact on the world around you. Yearning to uplift those around you. Living your truth. Doing no harm.

“In the midst of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” (Albert Camus)

I love this photo of my warrior plant because of the contrast of the monochrome of dried leaves around the bright green of the swiss chard spinach plant.

Each one of us is a warrior. We all have the capability to thrive in the world and find our invincible summer, just like my warrior plant.