Walking the dog this spring morning I came across hoary stock in flower, and thought of Alexander Pope.
A vernacular name for the plant is ‘Hopes’, you see…and Pope is famous for the phrase ‘Hope springs eternal.’ His poem ‘An Essay on Man‘ is a famous paean to optimism – the complete phrase is:
Hope springs eternal in the human breast:
Man never is, but always to be blest
Hopes is a good sign of spring around here – it flowers early, and is native to the chalky cliffs. After a week of ‘lock down’ at home, and facing weeks if not months more isolation, it certainly lifted the spirits.
Spring is, of course, a time of renewal, fresh growth, looking forwards etc. In this season a nature-based coach might ask: What is awakening in you? How is the spring outside influencing your thoughts and feelings? What positive meaning can you attach to your internal ‘springtime’?
Back at home, reading on, the poem continues.
The soul, uneasy and confin’d from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
Ha! So my body may be confined…but my mind can be wherever it wants to be. What a timely lesson.
At The Natural Coaching Company we work with you to help you grow, and become the person you want to be. Give us a shout for a free discovery call.
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