Wisdom Wednesday

"...plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers" - Jorge Luis Borges

San Francisco Ballet Stars, Lorena Feijoo & Sarah Van Patten by Erik Almas for 7x7 Magazine, September 2011

Okay, I know that Wednesday is almost over, but there's always time for some wisdom, right? Today's inspiration comes from my favorite Spanish author, Jorge Luis Borges. In celebration of his 112th birthday, I thought I'd share a few lines from his poem, "Y uno aprende," which translates to "And You Learn." Way back when, in my college days, I was a Spanish minor. My senior year of college, I decided to take a Spanish poetry class, because poetry happened to be my favorite form of literature to dissect. During finals week, our professor instructed that we find a few poems, analyze them, and write a 15 page paper. Now, some of you will automatically think, "Man, 15 pages of analysis? That is awful!" I, being the nerd that I was (and still am?), giggled with glee at the thought. Did I mention that I  analytical papers are my forte? 

Anyways, getting back to the point, as I searched for poems to analyze, I stumbled upon Borges' poem. I was already familiar with Borges, after coming across him in some of my other Spanish literature courses, but I knew him more for his short stories, so I was surprised that to learn that he was also a poet. I was sitting in my apartment, reading Borges' poem at two in the morning, and suddenly found my eyes filled with tears by the end of his poem. To give you a bit of background, I was getting over my first love that year, and somehow, I found all the words I ever needed to hear in that poem. Simple and pure, Borges' words reminded me that happiness begins within. You can't be happy with someone else, until you are completely happy with yourself. So, don't wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and let it bloom. When the time is right and your garden is full of beautiful flowers, someone special will be there to bring you a breathtaking bouquet that will complement your garden perfectly. Remember, no need to rush. Growing a garden takes time.

And that's my wisdom for today. Happy Wednesday, everyone.  Please feel free to share your thoughts below, and be sure to check out Borges' poem in full. Don't forget, my giveaway ends this week! Take advantage before time runs out :)