Too Much, Too Soon

The Wisdom of the Closed Leaves

I placed my butternut squash seeds in my windowsill so they could soak up some good ole’ sunshine, but later found the leaves closed, when they were clearly open this morning. I was curious.

I’m a new plant mom and I get fascinated when I see my seedlings thrive and respond to their environment. I started my vegetable garden on a whim. I didn’t do a ton of research on what soil to use for which plant or what should be grown at what time. I just wanted to be led by wonder. If you haven’t guessed it yet, curiosity is one strength I possess.

Anyway, back to the story of my butternut squash seedlings. I don’t know if I missed this response or what, but I didn’t do anything out of the usual. I woke up, admired the progress of my lovely butternut squash seedlings, then placed them in my windowsill. As I went about my daily rhythm, I noticed their vibrant green leaves, which were reaching beautifully toward the sky, were closed. I wondered, “What made them respond like this?”

I was curious about what these plants wanted me to know about them today. I observed them. Closely. I took a deep breath and looked closer. They weren’t wilting. They weren’t brittle. Neither were they brown. They were strategically intact - they had simply chosen to fold inward. And I wanted to know more, but they can’t talk, lol. Guess what I found?

I pulled out my computer and began to search the world-wide web. Nature is brilliant, and a teacher, and we could learn a whole lot from it. My seedlings were not failing; they were practicing a masterclass in self-preservation. They were closed because they were receiving too much sunlight. Could you imagine that? I couldn’t either. Isn’t the sun great for plants? Apparently, too much sun is not good for baby plants. Let me reiterate, that I did not do a ton of research, I invited wonder. Please, plant community, do not come for me…haha.

Give yourself grace

They were intentionally minimising their surface area, conserving their core moisture, and surviving an environment that had suddenly became too intense. When I reflected, I thought about how often we misinterpret our own need to pause and retreat, and how we minimise the grace we give ourselves.

In gardening, you shouldn’t take a tender seedling from a sheltered space and suddenly and plant it in a sunbaked field. The sheer intensity will shock its system. Does this remind you of when you are developing new habits? To build true resilience, you must harden them off. By introducing them to the elements incrementally. An hour of sun, a few hours of shade. This process gradually expands their capacity over time.

Yet, we live in a culture that truly rejects this pace. We expect ourselves to transition quickly and immediately shoulder massive change or responsibility without missing a beat. Then we judge ourselves harshly when we feel anxious, overwhelmed or wanting to pause or rest. Give yourself grace. We mistake our system’s natural, intelligent shock for personal inadequacy. What if this isn’t weakness, but simply overexposure - too much, too soon?

Folding Inward - a Feature, not a Flaw

Those seedlings were not giving up on growing into a vine, they just needed to ensure they survived to see another day. Seedlings understand that when the external heat is soaring, trying to stay completely open would only result in total dehydration. So, pausing and grounding oneself under sudden intensity, isn’t a design flaw. It is an intuitive, protective boundary.

When you feel the urge to pull back - to say no, to shrink your circle, or to retreat into a quiet sanctuary - that is your internal wisdom telling you that the evaporation rate of your energy is out-pacing your current capacity.

Tending to Your Own Environment

As a plant mom, my job wasn’t to pry those leaves open. My job was to offer an environment that support growth and change without pressure. Within minutes, those little seedlings opened, undamaged. The same is true for Nurse Coaching. Transformation shouldn’t be rushed. My job isn’t to tell you what to do. It is simply to listen, support, encourage, meanwhile providing the environment that support your sustainable health and lifestyle changes.

If you are currently standing in a season where the heat is of life feels like too much, too soon, and this post resonated with you. This is a gentle invitation to a complementary session to see what support could look like when you choose Sacred Nest, only when you are ready.

To connect, simply send an email to info@sacred-nest.com for more information.