I have a lil' story I want to share with you, my sensitive, ambitious friend. Tell me if this lands for you....

I recently caught up with a(nother sensitive, ambitious) friend who’s crafted an impressive-looking career for herself. She’s worked for giant, well-known companies and her resume looks uh-mazing. She’s helped build objectively cool projects, climbed the ranks, and done the whole corporate shebang.

This friend is also a multi-hyphenate creative: an incredible writer, artist, and maker whose imagination knows no limits. Her work belongs in art zines and coffee table books. She’s gentle-hearted with a quiet presentation that belies a deep, rich inner life. When I see her latest art, in whatever form it takes, I’m always delighted.

But in this conversation, despite her achievements and creative wellspring, she was feeling down, questioning her abilities and herself.

“I keep thinking a new, different job is going to be better, or I’ll like it more,” she said, “and so I get hired, and then I realize…it’s not. It’s the exact same feeling of not belonging, not being appreciated for what I can actually do. It feels like something is just…wrong with me.”

When she said that, something in me was like whoa, whoa, whoa.

“Can I offer you an alternative narrative?” I asked, and she agreed.

“So, imagine you are a dahlia in a field of dandelions,” I offered.

(In case you don't know what a dahlia looks like, behold!)

Then, I basically said the following:

There’s nothing wrong with dandelions. They’re cheerful, tenacious, and beautiful in their own way.

But a dahlia? A dahlia has a different kind of magic. More intricate, with more layers, needing a bit more care and the right environment to thrive.

Now, it'd be easy to look at a field of dandelions with a lone dahlia smack in the middle and say the dahlia doesn’t belong. That something is wrong with it.

But is there actually?

Heck no!

Often, we find ourselves in places that don’t nurture our unique gifts. It doesn’t mean we’re inadequate or flawed; it just means we’re in the wrong garden.

My friend spent the last decade in a corporate setting where the structure of her job has, over time, beaten down her creative spirit and stifled who she really is. She hustled. She busted her hiney. She's done her very best. But at the end of the day…it still hasn't quite fit.

It’s like expecting a dahlia to thrive in a cracked sidewalk. Sure, the dandelions are doing great, and the dahlia can survive for a while...but that’s not where the dahlia is meant to be.

And the worst part is when the dahlia starts to internalize what makes her different as something bad, instead of it maaaybe just indicating that she needs a different kind of soil to feel nourished.

My friend’s subtle brilliance and creativity are her strengths, and they deserve to flourish in a space that celebrates them: whether that’s a non-name-brand company who really sees her and values what she brings to the table, or her own business where she has creative control over her environment and how she shows up in the world.

I wonder if you can relate. How many of us are dahlias, trying to fit into environments that don’t honor or make space for who we are in all our glory?

 
Monet's Garden by John Zaccheo

If you’re feeling out of place or are questioning your worth, I invite you to take a moment to consider your surroundings. Are they nourishing your growth and creativity? Do you feel safe and supported? How about enlivened and inspired?

If not, maybe it isn’t you. Maybe it’s just where you are.

Sometimes, the simple act of recognizing when you’re in the wrong garden can be the first step toward finding where you truly belong.

So here’s to finding the right garden, the right soil, and the right light for you, no matter when you start or how long it takes.

And remember, there’s nothing wrong with being a dahlia, a dandelion, or any other flower. It’s just about finding the right place to bloom.

Love note complete,

Caitlin

P.S. Do you need support in blossoming more fully into your life, career, or business? Sign up for a discovery call and we can chat about how to get you there.