"Bloom Where You're Planted" or Find the Premium Soil?

Much of the time, I have no idea why I suddenly remember little snippets from my life of many years ago.

As I was mowing the lawn this afternoon, I found myself thinking back to some 25 years ago when I was still living in Austin, Texas... and was in the early stages of making plans to move myself to Washington state.

A lot of people around me couldn't really understand why I wanted to move — physical and political climates notwithstanding — and I remember repeated hearing the truism "Bloom where you're planted!"

Of course, the implication was that I would be no happier anywhere else... and I should just focus on being happy where I was.

Made me pause and contemplate the whole issue of what exactly "happy" even meant, and what are the fundamental elements of happiness... as they apply to any one specific person, in this case myself.

"Couldn't Stand the Weather" was a good start... and I am not talking about (then) local Austin boy Stevie Ray Vaughan's song of that name, either.

Central Texas in the summer is a relentless parade of 100-degree+ days (that's 38C for you metric folks) with considerable humidity because it rains a lot in the late afternoons in late summer.

And I just don't DO heat. Once the temperature goes above about 75 (24C) my entire body is covered in a perpetual film of perspiration... living in the tropics is possibly my worst nightmare.

My problem with Texas was that I love being outside, and I hated going outside for 6-7 months of the year... as a result of which I possibly suffered from some strange version of "Reverse SAD" meaning I would get depressed not in the winter but in the summer because I would spend day and night insides, sitting in front of the air conditioner vent.

I gradually came to understand that it makes me a bit of an oddball as human beings go, since most people prefer hot weather to cold, and I am the exact opposite. Not that I have any great desire to live in Alaska or Lapland. Hence... western Washington.

One of the other things I came to understand about myself was that I tend to do best in social/political settings that feel somewhat "aligned" with my own ideas about the world.

But getting back to the burning question in the title of this post, I think it ultimately boils down to your personal definitions, and the elements of life that contribute to your happiness. And I learned about myself that location is a more important element for me than it is for many people... who seem equally happy in Chicago... or Phoenix, AZ. As you might, if being PHYSICALLY comfortable ranks in 37th place of "what matters to make you happy."

For me? It's pretty damn near the top!

And perhaps that's justified, because when I am feeling physically miserable it doesn't really matter how "great" everything else might be... that misery will spill over and pollute every other aspect of life.

And so, I would say that my current location reflects a search for that "premium soil" to plant myself in. And it definitely made a difference in how I viewed the rest of the aspects of my life.

Could I "be OK," regardless of where I might be located? Absolutely! The question that statement raises, however, is whether "being OK" is sufficient to live a life... or do we ask for something that comes closer to thriving?

Personally, "being OK" only holds up for so long, and then I want to move on, in search of something better.

Hence... seeking that Premium Soil to plant myself in.

Thankfully, I found it!

Thanks for reading, and have a great remainder of your week!

How about YOU? Bloom where you're planted? Or find the best possible place to set bloom? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 20220614 23:58 PDT
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