maria Zampini \u2014 September 1, 2012<\/p>\n

The games of the XXX Olympiad in London had more viewers than any other event in U.S. television history, and I was one of those 219.4 million viewers eager to watch. Ever since I was a little girl I\u2019ve absolutely loved the Olympics! I\u2019m glued to the TV to watch favorites such as swimming, gymnastics and track and field, but I also relish learning about little-known Olympic sports as race-walking or trampoline (who knew?).<\/p>\n

I think I\u2019m drawn to the Olympics for many reasons: the athletes\u2019 sacrifice and dedication to their chosen sport is inspirational; hearing the athletes\u2019 stories and those of their families or their country; learning the history and culture of the host country. Most of all, I appreciate that it is a positive event and it is a pinprick on the time line when the world comes together in peace.<\/p>\n

If you watched the closing ceremonies, you might have seen original Monty Python member Eric Idle singing, \u201cAlways Look on the Bright Side of Life.\u201d As hokey as his performance may have seemed to some (including me), the song did reinforce a timeless characteristic that can too easily be taken for granted: attitude. As Winston Churchill said, \u201cAttitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an industry we\u2019ve been beaten down the past several years from just about every direction possible. I see nurseries, garden centers and landscapers in our industry still grasping at straws, struggling to keep their businesses going and their heads above water.<\/p>\n

Been there, done that. So I feel their pain. I know from first-hand experience that you can easily fall in to the habit of dwelling on the negative and missing out on the positive, even when the positive is staring you in the face. These factors can affect your attitude \u2013 and not in a good way.<\/p>\n

When my family business fell on hard times a few years ago, it drove me into what I refer to as my \u201cbig black hole.\u201d It took me a couple years to climb out of that dark place that surrounded me 24\/7. People often say, \u201cWhen God closes one door he opens another.\u201d When you\u2019re in the thick of things, though, it can be difficult to see through that door to the other side. It is easy for me to look back now and see how the change was actually a blessing in disguise.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m currently reading a book by Neale Donald Walsch, the bestselling author of Conversations with God. It is called When Everything Changes, Change Everything: In a Time of Turmoil, a Pathway to Peace. I\u2019m only one-third of the way through, but it is definitely interesting reading. The main thing I\u2019ve taken away is that it is all in the way you look at things. Change can be the end of something but, by definition, it is also the beginning of another.<\/p>\n

Our natural inclination is to resist change. It is my belief that those in the green industry who welcome change, or are at the very least willing to work with and adapt to change, will survive. Those who seek change and embrace it are the ones I believe who will thrive in our industry.<\/p>\n

Not everything must necessarily change, but you have to be willing to look at the processes in your business and evaluate them: Question what you do, and how and why you do it. Just because you started a particular process for one reason doesn\u2019t mean that that reason still exists. Or do you do it because that is the way it\u2019s always been done?<\/p>\n

Since I took a new career path in 2009, the road hasn\u2019t been an easy one for me. While I may be working and traveling more than ever in my career, I\u2019d like to think I\u2019m actually working smarter, not harder. By the same token, I\u2019m learning to take the time to do things for myself, such as yoga, going to the beach or walking my dogs. And you know what? I deserve to do those things! The way I look at it, they\u2019re helping to keep me sane and healthy, and they\u2019re helping to reinvigorate my positive mental attitude. So, what\u2019s your stress relief?<\/p>\n

Take a tip from the greatest Olympic athlete in history, Michael Phelps, who said, \u201cI think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.\u201d And he ought to know!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to feed your mind, which, in turn, will feed your business. Are you familiar with the Olympic creed? It states: \u201cThe most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.\u201d<\/p>\n

We all do well when the going\u2019s easy. Facing the challenge despite the odds is what makes us winners.<\/p>\n

P.S. I can\u2019t resist mentioning the connection between U.S. gardening and the Olympics. Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, The Hoosier Gardener (www.hoosiergardener.com) and Garden Writers Association Region III National Director, is one proud Olympic mom! Jo Ellen\u2019s son, Ben Sharp, was the coach of the U.S. Women\u2019s Pursuit Cycling Team. The ladies won the first ever Olympic Women\u2019s 3K Team Pursuit silver medal, and team member Sarah Hammer captured a silver medal in an individual cycling event. Congrats to all!<\/p>\n

Maria Zampini is the president of UpShoot LLC. Her company\u2019s focus is \u201cliving, sharing and supporting horticulture\u201d through new plant introduction representation including LCN Selections. She can be reached at [email protected], and her website is www.upshoothort.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

maria Zampini \u2014 September 1, 2012 The games of the XXX Olympiad in London had more viewers than any other event in U.S. television history, and I was one of those 219.4 million viewers eager to watch. Ever since I was a little girl I\u2019ve absolutely loved the Olympics! I\u2019m glued to the TV to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nursery"],"yoast_head":"\n