The Power of Space

The pot you didn't know you were in

Where are you planting your papaya tree?

During my seven day digital detox at the start of this month, Ivy and I went back to California to spend time with her mom.

While we were there, the neighbors were having everyone over for a get together. I had never been in that neighbor’s backyard before and as soon as Ivy and I saw it we were in awe.

He built this beautiful garden with over 1000+ different types of cactus and plants in his backyard.

He had avocado tree, apple tree, blood orange, orange, blueberries, blackberries, kumquats, mango, papaya, etc…

He offered us a tour of the property and started explaining to us the different species of plants he had back there.

When he got to the papaya tree, he showed us a tree that was an easy 8 feet tall and thick. He mentioned that he had this plant for only a few months and that he had another one further down that he had gotten at the same time.

When we got to that tree (still in the pot) it was maybe 1.5 feet high and a thickness that I could probably break without trying.

I thought that was interesting since both trees were the same age. But one had access to broader space since it was planted in the ground versus the other, which had a boundary from being in the container.

It got me thinking, where in my life am I limited by being planted in a pot and how can I get myself into broader land with good soil.

It reminded me when I left my small town back home, my mindset felt limited by what I thought was possible with my life, and it wasn’t until I left home, travelled the world, experienced new cultures, met new interesting people with jobs or careers I didn’t even know existed, that my mind started to expand.

Those “mind roots” took a hold, went wide, and helped me build the life I have today.

BUT I am also aware that sometimes I am not aware that I may be putting myself in a “pot” (creating restrictions or boundaries for myself), maybe that is out of fear, insecurity, etc…

It’s the exact reason why it’s easy to see and solve other people’s problems, but it feels impossible with us because we don’t see what others see.

So I took that mental challenge on during this past digital detox, where was I “potting” myself in my health, my fitness, my relationship, my business, etc…

And a lot of the “potting” happening was me self-limiting myself by taking on more, doing more projects, working with more people, rushing, stacking meetings, etc…

I realized that for me, being planted in the soil represented the power of space.

Not just physical space but mental/psychological space.

Space to reflect, ponder, to be more intentional with my choices, time and energy.

Which is why I ruthlessly eliminate things when I came back online and added a few intentional things.

I ruthlessly eliminated having a working block without structure, I’ve cut projects like our Thailand workshop in 2027 (for multiple reasons), I’ve simplified my workflow with my team, I’ve turned down projects that people were waiting on an answer on whether I wanted to join or not. I’ve simplified my workout regimen. I went down to reading one book at a time instead of two.

And the two things I added were to reinstate weekly date nights with my wife Ivy. I never realized that it had slipped since we came back from our three month Asia trip and the move to a different state.

And I added a 30 min block in the morning, extra, to ensure that I don’t rush my morning so that I could read longer, write longer, and take time to master my latte making skills ❤️

So my lesson from this past detox continues to remain the same, and I keep getting reminded of it in many different ways because I’m not perfect, ahah.

I forget to slow down and smell the roses, I forget not to rush, I forget not to add more things to my plate.

I feel like I’m constantly battling this “balance” of wanting to serve the world at all cost, build something meaningful, but also wanting to be happy, relax, enjoy the beautiful ride of life that I am on with my incredible wife.

Instead of being a Type A, I’m trying to be a Type A-B, ahah.

It’s a learning process, that is for sure.

In having shared all of that, I’m curious to see where I catch myself “putting myself in a pot” versus ensuring that I stay planted in the vast and open space of the world with good soil (which could be a good community, healthy food, a healthy body, etc…)

You will know by asking yourself that question, what that looks like for you.

Sincerely,

Maxime