Remember, beautiful things take time...

I'd returned to Australia.   Spring was coming to a close and Jacaranda trees bloomed all over Brisbane.  Have you ever stood under a Jacaranda?  Have you ever danced upon her carpet with the sun filtering through her leaves?    

A Jacaranda in full bloom is a like nature's Royal Queen clothed in purple.   She lays out her velvet petals inviting you to bathe in her grace.  Festivals are held in her honour.  Her admirers travel far to capture her beauty.   

It was lovely to be back in Brisbane and once again  walking under her branches.   I reflected on my childhood memories when the Jacaranda at the top of our street stood out as a beacon of beauty against a dreary neighborhood.   

I set myself against her trunk to be still with nostalgia, when  I heard a voice in my heart, "Child, how long does it take for a Jacaranda to bloom?"

The Jacaranda, when grown from seed ...

         will take seven to fourteen years to bloom 

... incredibly beautiful things take time.

I was reminded of my own decision to change the way I lived;   the choice to walk a different path to the  "fastest, quickest, speediest" narrative found in the messaging of many societies.     

When we turn away from the pressure of productivity, the constant push to perform; when we make the conscious choice to move in flow, to step in Spirit, there is an active surrender to a new timeline ...

where beautiful things can take time.  

At times our biggest, most beautiful dreams may seem far off.   "I should be further along", we may say to ourselves. Sometimes we have a vision, but the details haven't taken form as yet.   It may seem like we are moving at a slower pace than we anticipated.   We can fall into a "down day" when we lose hope that our goals will ever come to pass.    

But, remember beautiful things can take time.

It took fourteen years to build the Sydney Opera house before it was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II.   It will take ten to twenty years before a high-end, single-malt whiskey is ready for the tasting.  It took four years for Michelangelo to complete the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. 

No matter what it is you're creating, be patient dear friend.  Whether it be four or fourteen years, enjoy the process of the making...

because truly beautiful things take time.