5 Career Reinvention Lessons I Learned From a Pumpkin

5 Career Reinvention Lessons I Learned From a Pumpkin Somewhat comically, it has yielded only one pumpkin thus far. Several others attempted to bud, and looked like real possibilities for a while, but like so many great ideas of the day they ultimately withered on the vine. Fortunately, the one that is growing, appears to be a keeper. Id love to claim that this plant is so impressive because we are amazing gardeners. But in truth, weve really had nothing to do with it. We didnt plant it it appeared out of nowhere. Well, okay, thats not entirely true. You see, the plant started in our compost pile after we discarded our Halloween pumpkin there last fall. So I guess we sorta did plant it in a way, even though that was never our intention. Funny, how the little seeds we scatter throughout our lives, often without even noticing, can manifest in interesting ways and surprising second acts, no? Notably, this is not the first year weve grown things without meaning to do so.  In fact, every summer something surprising grows out of our compost pile. Gourds, tomatoes, herbs and flowers have all magically appeared out of the discarded waste that was left to rot in the compost. Its fun, because we never quite know what will take when. But nature teaches us that when the right seeds hit just the right growing environment new growth flourishes. Of course, it helps to nurture the process along a bit. A little water, sunshine and fertilizer, and a sprinkling of luck, can work wonders. As the summer draws to a close, we will continue to delight in watching as our pumpkin grows, ripens, and eventually falls off the vine. Then, we will proudly display it on our front stoop until the frost hits and the cycle begins anew. And so, as we head into the fall, a time when many of you will reignite your career plans in earnest, I hope youll remember the profound lessons offered by nature.  Heres to a year filled with  prolific seeds, fertile growing conditions and an abundant, awe-inspiring and enriching harvest! Related articles that you might also enjoy: 10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#1) 10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#10) 10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#7) 4 Career Reinvention Lessons Learned From a Cat Wrangler 10 Lessons Ive Learned About Career Reinvention (In Celebration of My 15th Anniversary as a Career Coach!)