Nearly every important lesson that I have learned is connected to picking blackberries.
You may never venture into a berry patch, but chances are you have gone after something you really wanted and been bruised and bloodied in the process. You persisted. Because you had to. Because you wanted to.
Like picking blackberries, you might have found that you had to disentangle a raft of sticky thorns to uncover the gems you knew were there. And, even at the moment of thinking you had landed the goods (whether the job or the interview or the client or the project), that juicy thing you were after slipped through your fingers leaving you empty handed and hungry with only stains and cuts to show for your effort. You felt raw and beat up, you were discouraged, and you still needed or wanted to go back after your prize.
May the metaphor of berry picking inform and sweeten your search process, whether for a job, a home, or a safe place to walk. As you read about my berry picking travails, substitute the goal that you are working hard to reach, or simply enjoy the vicarious pleasure of going into the berry patch with me. When braving berry picking, you will find that:
- diving in is a bad idea. you have to look carefully and be strategic about where and how you enter.
- the thorns are razor sharp. you will get caught in them. you will bleed. you can’t go in without getting hurt a bit.
- the best berries are very hard to reach. you can’t simply approach a berry patch and lazily begin plucking the ripest berries. if you want the yummiest berries, you are going to have to get past the thorns and withstand some snags and cuts.
- the best berries are elusive. yes, some are up high. but others are hiding under leaves and branches that you have looked at a dozen times before. despite having thought you looked carefully, surprise! the blackest ripest berries were dangling right in front of you hiding in plain sight. you have to keep looking and get better at looking and finding the best berries.
- the best berries are practically falling off the vine. just touching the branch can cause them to fall to the ground. poof! gone! you thought you had a few choice gems. instead you have a bare branch and scratched arms. pick the soft orbs with care. be gentle and firm.
- it takes patience and a thick skin to pick blackberries. it’s worth it but it will draw blood.
- despite the weather, berry picking dictates what you should wear: long sleeves, long pants, socks and shoes, along with a hat. dress for success and protection!
What does the berry patch have to teach you about getting what you want?
