Your Choice of When and Where Matters
The when (time), and where (place) of your planting has implications for your perceived value.
I plucked a few ‘weeds’ from my porch garden this week. I examined the weeds to see what they were (I am usually curious about the plant species that sprout there). There was the usual grass ‘weed’ that likes to grow everywhere; there was something that looked like a dandelion; and two other sprouts I could not readily identify.
I love green grass when it is growing in the right place. It makes the environment beautiful with its green coverage. I eat dandelions now and then. So, why am I referring to these two useful plants as weeds? The answer is simple: because they were growing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Notice, I did not say it is because I did not plant them; rather, because of place and time.
A Little Shift In Time Makes A Big Difference
One day, a peppermint sprouted in one of my pots. I love peppermint. I have a dedicated place for peppermints. This one sprouted in the wrong place. Fortunately, for the peppermint (and for me), though it was in the wrong place, the timing was perfect. Why? Because I needed a peppermint seedling for a friend. I sent the seedling to my friend, where it found its perfect place, and time, and therefore, express value. Place and Time influence how we are perceived and received.
What Is A Weed?
To situate this article in the proper context, some definition will be helpful. What is a weed? Oxford Languages says, a weed is “a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants.” Britannica.com says weed is a “general term for any plant growing where it is not wanted.” Britannica further explains that a weed could be de-classified as such because it is found to have desirable virtues, and a cultivated plant could at a different time be classified as a weed.
Read more at https://www.britannica.com/plant/weed
Merriam-Webster describes a weed as “a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth.” Wikipedia calls it “a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, “a plant in the wrong place.”
My personal definition, based on experiences from my small ‘porch’ gardening escapades is (a) a weed is a herbal plant in the wrong garden or the wrong pot (b) an herb or plant that is misidentified, mislabelled, or both.
“Remember who you are. Remember your worth. Do not let situations, circumstances, or people define your value. You determine your value and live it.”
A Person Can Be Treated Like A ‘Weed’
It is possible for a person to be treated like a weed at any time. This is usually because you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, the wrong place at the right, or in the right place at the wrong time. In any or all of such situations, you will receive treatment that leaves very little to be desired. It could be a workplace situation, a friendship situation, or a social/community, even a national situation. It would seem you are considered unwanted, unnecessary, not needed or useful, and generally unappreciated, with efforts and attempts to remove you. Before you take up arms to fight everybody, consider the fact that it is not your person or your value that is unappreciated. The circumstances of place and time may have overshadowed your value.
What To Do If You Are In Such A Situation
When faced with a situation where you are being treated like an unwanted plant, recognise that it is not about you or your true value; it is rather about the time, the place, the environment. It takes an astute person or leader, to discern good value even when it shows up in a seeming wrong place or wrong time.
Remember your worth. That is the first thing to do. Do not let the situation, or the people involved define or redefine your value. You may simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time; or the right place at the wrong time, or probably in the right place at the right time but you have been wrongly labelled and categorised.
The second thing to do if you feel you are being treated like a weed, is to ask questions:
Ask These Questions
1. Is this where I should be? Is this the right place for me to express my gift and worth? If your answer is no, maybe, or unsure, introspectively ask yourself, ‘where can I best be expressed and appreciated?’
2. Is the timing right for my being here? Would I be of better value at a different time?
3. Am I being mislabelled or misidentified? If yes, how am I contributing to the mislabelling and or misidentification? Note that we usually contribute to how we are labelled or mislabelled.
4. For a deeper search, follow the previous question (question 3) with these – Am I projecting/presenting the right image to identify me for who and what I truly am? Am I misrepresenting myself in any way by my speech and or conduct? How can I express my proper identity and value to be correctly labelled?
The Place Factor and You
How place affects your value
If you find yourself in a place that does not recognise your value or worth, consider how you might re-package and re-present yourself to communicate who you are, what you are worth, what value you can add to the people, the organisation, the situation. A valuable or desirable herb can sprout in the wrong place. If properly identified, it could be given room to grow, or moved to a better location (like my peppermint seedling). You owe it to yourself to make sure you have packaged and presented yourself in a way that allows your value to shine through and be appreciated. If you are a valuable herb, present yourself as such. It is unfair to masquerade like a weed, and then turn round to blame those who do not see your value as a plant or herb. Show your true value.
Assess Yourself and The Situation
You should be able to do a thorough assessment of yourself and the environment, to decide if you are or would be of value in the place. If upon assessing the situation, you recognise what you have to offer is not needed or wanted, advise yourself accordingly. Life is full of examples of people who were rejected in one place because they were thought to be of no value; these same people went on to do great things in the new places they found themselves. Do not let the people, or circumstance define your value. Know what you are worth. Present or re-present yourself as such. If you are not good enough for a particular place, there is a perfect and ripe place for you.
Finally, learn to identify and plant yourself in the right places. More often, in searching for opportunities, we are too eager to go anywhere that looks like a good place. It may be a good place, a wonderful place even, but is it the right place for you? Do not be in a hurry to jump into any garden; you might be ‘sprayed’ off before you have the chance to show you are not a weed.
The Time Factor
It is a wonderful feeling to find yourself in the right place and at the right time. When you are at the right place at the wrong time, everything seems to go wrong. Your best efforts scatter before your eyes like a sand castle on a stormy night. Again, take care not to let the situation or circumstance negate your worth. The best leaders, the best brains, have faltered because of wrong timing. Give yourself a break. See the situation for what it is. Make the best of it; most importantly, consider the option of waiting patiently for the time of your celebration to come, or, moving on.
Assess Yourself and The Situation
The option you choose should be based on a critical analysis of the variables at play. It is possible the right time is just around the corner. Sooner than later, your value will be noticed and appreciated. It is also possible that by the time your value is recognised, it has lost its edge. Analyse the situation and make an appropriate decision. Companies have been known to throw people out and later found those same people to be the ones to rescue the business. Timing does influence your perceived value. Learn to bid your time. It is all right to leave and come another day. That is why it is important not to slam the door behind you when you leave; you may be opening that some door in the near future.
Right Place, Right Time, Wrong Label
If you are convinced you are in the right place, at the right time, then the question to ask is, “How can I demonstrate my true value?” “What am I needed for here, and how do I do it effectively so my result will show who or what I am?”
You can be in the right place, at the right time, but be wrongly labelled. Your attitude, conduct, effort, packaging, and presentation of your worth, together with your result (or influence on the whole) can compel a re-categorisation, and re-labelling. If you believe you have been wrongly labelled, find a way to project a more accurate labelling of who you are and what you bring to the table.
Conclusion
Like the weeds in my garden and any garden, when you are growing where you are planted or wanted, you are celebrated; when you appear in the wrong place, chances are, you will be uprooted or, they will keep a keen eye on you to make sure you do not interfere with the growth of cultivated plants in that garden. Remember, you owe it to yourself to present and conduct yourself in a way that makes it easy for your identity and value to shine through. Always pick your planting places and times with care. It has implications for how your value is perceived and received.
Augustina O. Oti-Twumasi is a communications strategist, and L&D practitioner. she loves to inspire change in herself and in others. She does this through her work as a Training and Workshop Facilitator, Learning and Development Consultant, Creative Writer, Life Coach, and Integrated Marketing Communications Strategist.
