“Bloom Where You Are Planted” – Thriving in the Here & Now | 144

Today, we’re diving into one of my favourite mindset shifts—something simple, but incredibly powerful: “Bloom where you are planted.”

This idea has carried me through so many moments in my career and life. Whether you’re feeling stuck in a job that’s not your dream role, living in a place you never thought you’d settle, or navigating a tough season—this episode is for you.

We’re talking about how to thrive right where you are, even when the situation isn’t ideal. Because here’s the truth: waiting for “better” circumstances often keeps us from growing. But when we shift our mindset and choose to bloom exactly where we’ve been planted—everything changes.

Let’s get into it.

Where to find me: 

Crescendo Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crescendocommunity
Official Crescendo Page: https://www.facebook.com/CrescendoMusicEd/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CrescendoMusicEd
Twitter: https://twitter.com/crescendomusic
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-o-shea-62a3741b/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CrescendoDeb

Introduction

Here is the Crescendo Music Education Podcast – Episode 144.

This podcast is being recorded on the lands of the Turrbal people. I acknowledge them as the traditional owners of the land and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. They were the first music makers on this land.

If you’d prefer to listen to this episode, click here!

About ‘Read the Episode’: Sometimes, we would rather skim visually than listen to a podcast! That’s a great way to learn too!
The transcript of episode 144 of The Crescendo Music Education Podcast is below.

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Debbie O’Shea 

Before I talk about where it came from originally, for me it came from Deb Brydon. Thanks Deb. She’s full of wisdom, I might say. But the phrase is often linked to St Francis de Sales.

He was a 17th Century bishop and later this saying adapted into self improvement culture. I’m so into that sort of scene, the self improvement, self reflection culture. It suggests to us, this phrase, that success and fulfillment doesn’t come from waiting for perfect conditions. They come from making the best of where you are.

So today that means that we have to stop focusing on where we wish to be, where we will ultimately be and we focus on where we are now. We have to be adaptable and resilient and making the most of the present. It doesn’t mean to stop wishing for a better future or working towards a better future, but it’s about making the most of where you are now.

Applications

Debbie O’Shea 

So let’s have a look at a couple of little applications here. So I think most of us, me included, have had moments in your career where you’ve wished to be somewhere else. It could be a different city, a different job, different students, different principal, different colleagues. But when I shifted to bloom where you are planted everything changed really, because even if you would prefer new administrators or different students, you still have the potential to enjoy this job and make the most of where you are. So think of those times when you have wished to be somewhere else. Could you make this mindset shift when you’ve been in less than perfect situations?

How can I make this situation meaningful? Let’s look at a couple of little examples. Let’s say you’re teaching in a school with no budget and minimal resources. I have walked into a school and asked what my budget is and I’ve been told zero. Or if you’re desperate to get something, come and talk to me. I think most of us have been in those situations. All right, so we could just drop our bundle. How can I do it with no money? Well, the fact is, you’re in this job, you’ve got students relying on you and you need to somehow thrive. So can you find ways to innovate and inspire students, even with limited resources?

You can still sing, you can still play, you can still motivate them. You can actually do a lot with nothing other than knowledge and enthusiasm. So why not make the most of what you’ve got, the knowledge you’ve got, the enthusiasm you’ve got and just do it. You might not be able to buy any boom whackers, any xylophones. All of these things are great to have, but you can be a really effective music educator with nothing but your voice. Maybe you bring in your guitar occasionally. There are things you can do with no budget and minimal resources. Don’t just do nothing because you don’t have a budget, no having a little hissy fit.

Adapting To The Environment

Debbie O’Shea 

What about adapting to a tough work environment instead of waiting for the perfect job? If you work to thrive where you are, you just never know unexpected doors may open and also, particularly if you’re in a system like I’ve usually worked in the Department of Education, there’s a transfer system. I don’t have a choice always about where I work, so I’m here, hmm, I have to wait for maybe three years before I can get a transfer.

So I may as well just make the most of it, adapt to this tough environment and just wait and see if there’s any other doors that might open for me. Use what you’ve got. You might be in a situation where you’re moving from room to room and you do not have a music room. It’s so hard. I really do not like working where I don’t have a music room, but you can still enjoy your job.

You can make the most of it. You can think, okay, my lessons are shorter because I’m going from that room to the other side of the school to another room. My lessons are shorter. Okay, I can’t get as much done. I will just have to live with that, adapt my programs and still do my best for the kids and still thrive. Hey, I’m getting up my steps, doing more exercise. Just aim for growth wherever you are.

Debbie O’Shea 

Maybe you’re finding ways around extreme behaviour. Hmm, I think we’ve all worked with some forms of extreme behaviour, but be creative around how you cope with that and how you yourself can thrive and grow. So the sort of lessons learnt from this is you don’t need more. You can maximise what you’ve got already. And opportunities often come when you fully embrace where you are now, you are having the best time that you can have in this situation. Who knows what’s going to come, what’s around the corner. So how could you apply this bloom where you are planted?

Well, first in your work, excel in your current role. Don’t waste your time longing for the next one, time is really precious. Why would you squander it? So excel in your current role, even if your current role is not your ideal, not where you’re heading, not where you’re planning to be in five years time.

Don’t waste it though. Excel where you are. What is holding you back, personally perhaps, because conditions aren’t quite right yet. Oh, I’ll be happy when child X leaves the school. They’ve only got two more years and honestly, they ruin my day. No, you really are wasting your precious time worrying about that sort of thing. Oh, I’ll be a much better music teacher when I finish this course.

Well, yeah, you might be, but you’re also a pretty good music teacher now. So do your best and make the most of it, and don’t just make do until you finish the course. If only I had more planning time, I would be able to do so much better. Yeah, probably. But you can do really well now with what you’ve got.

And creatively don’t wait for better conditions and more resources. Look at how you can grow with what you have now.  So I find this phrase particularly useful if you’re in career transitions when you’re feeling stuck and you think, I’ve got no more room to grow. Well, yeah, you probably do, look for it. Small beginnings in your creative work can turn into big, wonderful things and in your personal growth, learn to be content and don’t get really complacent.

Warning

Debbie O’Shea 

Warning, there’s got to be a bit of a warning. Bloom where you are planted does not apply if it becomes an excuse to stay in a toxic or harmful situation. There’s no point being Little Miss Sunshine and saying, oh, I’ll just stay and make the most of it, which is what I have been saying. But not if you are being harmed, not if you are in a toxic, damaging situation, there is a line guys. Find that line and don’t cross it.

Don’t stay in toxic, harmful situations. Also it doesn’t apply if it’s going to stop you from dreaming big and challenging yourself. So you’re in a small situation, personally or professionally and you’re going, I will make the most of it, fabulous. But you know, there are better things out there. But you don’t apply for the job, you don’t save money for a loan to go and live in a different city, whatever it is, you can still keep dreaming and still keep pushing while making the most of where you are.

A Quick Recap

Debbie O’Shea 

So let’s have a quick recap. Bloom where you are planted is about making the most of your current circumstances instead of waiting for better ones. Success and fulfillment don’t come from ideal conditions. They come from adapting, growing and thriving right where you are. So I’m going to challenge you my lovely, lovely Crescendo listeners, what is one area of your life you’ve been holding back, waiting for better conditions?

How can you start blooming right now? You actually don’t need anything to start blooming. You need this mindset. So what are you going to improve? What are you going to tell yourself? Bloom where you are planted. I would love to hear your thoughts. I’d love to hear how you’ve applied this idea to your own life. Reach out on the socials please.

I’m trying to get better at Instagram, but I generally am at Facebook. The Crescendo Community is a great place to come and hang out, so I’d love to hear about how you’ve applied that on Facebook. There’s one more episode of my favourite mind set shifts and it’s actually one of my Dad’s favourite sayings, so it’s very special. So don’t miss out on the last short episode. Bye for now.

Sign-Off

Thank you for joining me for this podcast. Don’t forget, you’ll find the show notes and transcript and all sorts of information on crescendo.com.au. If you’ve enjoyed the podcast or found it valuable, you might like to rate it on your podcast player and leave a review. I’d really appreciate it if you did. All I can be as the best version of me. All you can do is be the best you. Until next time, bye.

Just for Laughs

As we know, laughter relieves stress, don’t lose sight of the funny side of life.
Why was the computer cold? Because it left its windows open.