consistency

Consistency has always been tricky for me - it’s the rebel in me that fights off routine, jumping feet first into the possibilities of the unknown. There I can dream and fend off accountability to see my dreams through. It’s always felt heavy and oppressive.

Consistency rooted in shame and punishment is not the kind of consistency I’m talking about. I’m talking about the kind of consistency that creates the conditions you need to thrive.

Let’s say you’re struggling with lack of energy (who isn’t?) and you want to change this. Consistency rooted in love and support says, “Let’s get at least 8 hours of sleep every night so that I wake up feeling refreshed, feeling good, and ready to meet the day.”

Consistency rooted in shame and punishment says, “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you just go to bed when you should? Why can’t you function on the sleep you get when so many people get less? You’re so weak and incapable. Just push through - and don’t you dare let it show. Also, do better.”

This is one of the incredible lessons plants have taught me - consistency can be learned through the smallest of acts, and it can feel good, amazing even. Why? Because consistency creates trust and trust creates connection and people need connection.

The simple act of observing your plants, just for a moment, each day can become a seed of consistency in you, and all of those moments can grow into this beautiful gift of you reliably showing up for yourself and the world and people around you.

The kind of confidence and trust that comes from consistency rooted in love and support might be something you’ve never felt before; that was certainly the case for me. It doesn’t feel heavy and oppressive - it feels like empowerment, like the rising sun or the crashing waves. It feels steady and strong like the mountains or the enduring bristlecone pine bearing witness to life for 5,000 years.

Books on consistency