Lean Quote: April Showers Bring May Flowers

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"If April showers should come your way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May."   —  Buddy de Sylva

Almost everyone has heard the saying, “April Showers bring May Flowers”. The saying can be traced back to England from the 1500s poet Thomas Tusser. Back then, he wrote “Sweet April showers do spring May Flowers”.

 "April showers bring May flowers" is a reminder that even the most unpleasant of things, in this case the heavy rains of April, can bring about very enjoyable things indeed -- even an abundance of flowers in May.

Many of life's greatest things come only to those who wait, and by patiently and happily enduring the clouds and damp of April, you can find yourself more easily able to take in the sights and smells of May. After all, it's easier to love something if you begin with an optimistic outlook.

Have you had a season of setbacks, disappointments or hindrances? Do not be dismayed. Remember these things: there has never been a wind that did not change directions, clouds do not hang forever and April showers bring May flowers.

Those “April showers” are another way of saying today begins growing tomorrow. The habits I’m building right now, even if I’m not aware I’m building them, will be the color of my life in the future. Check your routine. Check your habits. Are you creating the “May flowers” you want?