It’s not always glamorous working at a greenhouse. Sometimes rolling back the curtain that separates the thrilling displays from the work benches you might find some surprises. You might wonder why we even do what we do. 

Take for example all the metal hangers that the baskets have on them. How do they get there? You might expect to see a machine of some sort or perhaps even a robot with its titanium fingers methodically twisting wires. But no, you wouldn’t. Instead, you would see Dan, Jane, Brad, Shelly, or myself bending the metal strands onto each basket. I wired over a thousand baskets in the last couple of days with many more to go this week. You might be thinking, “How boring, how soul-sucking boring! There’s got to be some other job out there that would be more fulfilling!” Surprisingly, none of us feel that way. It is a job that needs to be done and we ask ourselves, “If I don’t do this, who will?” Admittedly, there is much monotony in the process and our fingers get sore and our knuckles sometimes ache. At the same time, there is also a peace and serenity that surrounds us. We are encouraged knowing that each basket will bring untold joy to the home that it adorns and inspiration to the owners and guests who visit. Each wire is truly a labor of love. Growing happiness at work or at home is isn’t always exciting but knowing that what you do fulfills a greater purpose and will enrich others’ lives is enough motivation to keep going. Having that sense of purpose is much more valuable to our dedication than simply “having fun” in our work. But you don’t need glamour to find fulfillment. Passion alone only gets you so far in life and then it’s the purpose—knowing that we’re helping someone—that keeps us persevering. As Helen Keller once remarked, “True happiness…is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” I hope that you will live your purpose today and every day!

Have a fabulous week!

Jake (jmertins@ebertsgreenhouse.com)