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Category: Gardening

What We Grow From What We Refuse to Waste

What compost taught me about systems, repair, marriage, and the quiet wins that tell us a life has changed: growth begins when we stop exporting every difficult thing and learn to process what can still become useful.

August 26, 2026
Field Note: Curious Enough to Stay

A close encounter with a bald-faced hornet becomes a morning field note on curiosity, distance, observation, and choosing to learn before reacting.

August 15, 2026
When Do Men Get a Group?

A man at my conference lunch table leaned back, crossed his arms, and asked, “When do men get a group?” I had been ready for that question for most of my professional life. What happened next reminded me that…

August 14, 2026
When the Garden Stops Growing

How do you know when it’s time to create distance from someone—or when it’s time to repair the relationship instead? The answer isn’t found in one painful moment. It’s found through careful investigation, honest…

August 4, 2026
Covered in Joy

A tiny pollinator disappears into a flower, emerges covered in pollen, and reminds us that some of the best work happens where no one is looking.

August 3, 2026
The Garden in My Mind

The older I get, the less I believe gardening is about growing plants. It’s about learning discernment—knowing what to cultivate, what to wait on, what to remove, and what to intentionally plant in its place. It turns…

July 31, 2026
Your Efficiency Program Didn’t Eliminate Work. It Moved It.

Technology was supposed to eliminate friction and free us for higher-value work. Instead, much of the work still exists—it has simply been transferred. From healthcare and customer service to authentication systems and…

June 30, 2026
Alignment Requires Measurement

A photo in the garden wasn’t about yoga. It was about prediction, measurement, and learning. The same questions that guide coaching, leadership, and continuous improvement can guide personal growth too: What do we expect…

June 25, 2026
The Difference Between a Sting and a Wound

A hidden garden flag, a patch of stinging nettle, and a morning storm became a reminder that growth changes our relationship with discomfort. The sting stayed the same. The response did not.

June 25, 2026
Pulling Weeds and Untangling Traffic Jams

Gardening is a meditative process that reveals intricate root systems, much like solving complex puzzle games.

June 20, 2026
Steel Toes & Plaid: The Harvest Was Successful. The Tea Was Awful.

A simple clover tea experiment led to an unexpected lesson about curiosity, potential, and why the most valuable outcomes are not always the ones we planned for.

June 18, 2026
Winning Wednesdays: Growing Better Systems

Gardens teach systems thinking better than most boardrooms. This week’s Winning Wednesday explores companion planting, nourishment, fermentation, behavioral change, leadership, and building healthier ecosystems for both…

May 20, 2026

Slingshot Designs, LLC

Human-centered. Process-driven. Crafted with intention.

Artisan work, leadership development, and meaning-driven design rooted in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

The Cardinal Rule™ • VoicePrint™ • Mitten Carving & Design™

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