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.

"March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers."   — Old English Proverb, First recorded in 1886 it mirrored sentiments from a poem recorded in 1610

Spring has finally arrived in the Northeast. It’s a time of new beginnings, and everyone around just seems to be happier (maybe it’s the anticipation of summer or maybe everyone’s seasonal affective disorder is finally wearing off). We can finally get motivated again to do the things that we kept putting off till “tomorrow”.

Now we’ve all heard the rhyme “April shower bring May flowers” reminding us that even unpleasant situations can have beautiful outcomes.

It is also a lesson in patience, and one that remains valid to this day. 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. So do not be depressed during these cloudy rainy days because soon the sun will shine and beautiful flowers, plants and trees that will have blossomed into a ray of many colors will surround us. 

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.