Lessons from Nature beyond the Background

Isn’t the water lily a grandiose flower? I’m sure many will agree with me as soon as their eyes witness the image that is below. This water lily is growing in a large artificially made pond. It is the highlight of the garden. Its beauty can attract attention from any corner of the compound. Every passerby makes brief stops so that the beauty of this plant refreshes the mind. I did the same and drew nearer. At a closer look, I noticed something. Oh yuck! There are dead guppies (tiny fish) turning white, an ugly greenish-brow frog, a lot of decomposing leaves, and dead insects floating as though there was a Tsunami and that’s not it; these beautiful flowers are growing in some stinky black muck. Sorry for all the unpleasant descriptions, but that’s the reality. More importantly, this description is needed because it created confusion in my mind but that quickly turned into inspiration.

“You become exactly what you surround yourself with, it is a human inevitability that you will be influenced by your surroundings, which is why it is important to choose who you surround yourself very carefully.” This is a direct quote from a research study. Psychology teaches us that we behave the way we behave because of our upbringing and surrounding (but at the same time psychology doesn’t deny human efforts that can make persons totally different despite of his or their surroundings). This water lily doesn’t fit the description, it’s not like the surrounding. You would argue saying that it’s a plant and the research study is about human beings. You are correct, but there is no harm in learning from these plants.

            This water lily is an inspiration and a motivation for those who curse their surrounding for their character or personality. The water lily instead of getting rotten and awful by the stinky surrounding uses it to its advantage. It uses the decomposing leaves and dead fish as manure and springs up rather than getting polluted by it. It doesn’t allow the ugly-looking frog to steal away the show; it outshines it with its beauty. The lush green leaves gloriously float on the dirty black water. The plant grows rapidly and covers up the pond leaving the muck in darkness. This water lily by its efforts to make a difference makes its surrounding more beautiful.

We do not need huge changes. A little inspiration and a lot of determination on our part can change our lives and we in turn can be an inspiration to others. There are so many people in this world who blame and curse their surroundings and upbringing. Some point fingers even at society for their flaws. We have watched movies that portray a robber's son becoming a robber and likewise but some others inspire the world by bringing a change. Research in personality science points to the possibility that personality traits can change through persistent intervention and major life events. We know of Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best footballers to have graced the football field has come from a very poor background and had no one in his family who would play the sport. Hard work and determination have made him the best. Let us stop blaming our surroundings and make efforts to stay afloat and prosper.

Moral: Let not our surroundings determine our future, we have the potential to change our life.