What being a plant dad has taught me

Happy Sunday, and thanks for opening today’s newsletter. 😊 

If you’ve been following me on TikTok or Instagram, you’d know that I recently got back from a trip to Europe, where I published 2 newsletters from a different time zone. Last week’s newsletter came out on Saturday at 9 pm EST instead of Sunday 9 am EST, so it wasn’t without trouble. 😂 

It feels good to be back at my desk, back in my regular writing process to reflect and publish this week’s message.

How community breeds success

This week, I’ve been reflecting on growth and something that I talked about in a blog post maybe about a year ago when reflecting on my time at Berklee College of Music. It’s not on thelifeofjlowe.com website, but it exists on justinlowemusic.com.

I titled that blog post “How Community Breeds Success” because my experience was so unique being surrounded by the best of the best musicians in the world, all with a similar passion.

This week, I’ve been thinking a bit more about that from a career/personal success perspective, as has been the theme of my thoughts in the past few weeks, and I want to use the word “environment” instead of “community”.

Do you think your seeds are lazy?

As some of you may know, one of my recent pastimes has been maintaining a small backyard garden. I’ve been growing scallions, scotch bonnet peppers, hibiscus flowers and periwinkles. Over the summer of last year, I even grew a whole sunflower from just a seed. That was genuinely one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in the past year.

As a plant dad, I’ve learnt that it’s my responsibility to put the seeds or shoots in the right conditions so that they can grow. If I put them in a pot and they’re not growing, I have to either change the soil, change the location of where the pot is so they get more sunlight, or maybe water them more often.

Here’s the thought that’s been on my mind:

Why do we think of ourselves as any different from seeds?

What’s the difference between me and a seed?