CULTIVATE is the second guiding word I choose for 2023. If you missed the post describing the word REFRESH you can find it here.
The first thing I think about when I hear the word cultivate is a garden and the first two definitions in Merriam-Webster Dictionary relate specifically to crops and gardening.
CULTIVATE: 1) to prepare or prepare and use for the raising of crops.
Another definition is:2)to loosen or break up the soil about (growing plants).
This could be a metaphor for our entire lives…sometimes we are so buried by our “ways” or “thoughts” that we can not break free and open our minds to something new.
It’s like being stuck in our own mud!
“Some fields are cultivated while others lie fallow.” Yikes…who wants to be fallow?
Well…maybe 2023 is a good year to “loosen the soil” so we can breath and discover our next best self!
Additional definitions for CULTIVATE are:to foster the growth, to improve by labor, care, or study: cultivate the mind. Refine. Further. Encourage…
and to Culture: like an oyster to a pearl!
Is there something in your life that you would like to cultivate in 2023?
Maybe a new hobby or craft?…
or would you like to cultivate a new habit?…like using the library instead of buying from Amazon? (okay…that might be one of mine!)
…level up your outdoor or indoor cooking skills?
…host or join a group that feeds your soul?
Or…learn about a different culture, volunteer for a cause you are passionate about, nurture a friendship, or practice saying YES when your first reaction is NO?
Author J.B. Mcgee says this. “Cultivate your craft. Water it daily, pour some tender loving care into it, and watch it grow. Remember that a plant doesn’t sprout immediately. Be patient, and know that in life you will reap what you sow.”
Is CULTIVATE a word that you would choose for 2023? Let me know in the comments below!
What would you like to STUDY, REFINE, or culture like a pearl? I’m going to start by cultivating my watercolor skills in 15 minute increments of time. There…I’ve put it out into the world…how about you?