Blog Post: Adapting to Change, Desert-Style

The Sonoran desert is an interesting place to live. I'm still fairly new in Phoenix, so many of the plants and animals that are common here are new to me. I've learned a lot from them in the short time I've been here.  The plants, animals and humans that adapt to shifting weather do well and thrive. Those that resist, don't. That's a powerful lesson.

The plants that make it have to adapt to heat, rain, wind and sandy dirt. Sometimes in rapid succession. Yesterday, I noticed the saguaro cactus make the most of the monsoon rains. The cactus soaks up the rain that is there today and unfolds its accordion pleats, storing the rain it has today for when it needs it next week. 

The Ocotillo (Monkey-tail cactus) adapts to the climate differently. The ocotillo sends up long branches from the ground, each covered in small leaves. As the summer heat soars, the ocotillo drops its leaves to conserve water,  exposing long thorns. It looks dangerous and wild. Give it a monsoon rain, and within hours, leave pop out along the "trunk" and soak up the humidity. Within days, if it doesn't rain again, the leaves drop off, having served their purpose.

Adaptation works for people, too. Those who see change as a challenge to their creativity, thrive. Those that resist all change have a hard, thorny life. Adapting isn't giving up or caving in. It's sending out new green leaves to soak up the life-sustaining force from what surrounds you, then dropping the leaves again before the atmosphere sucks you dry. There's a lot to be learned from the ocotillo's adaptation.

--Quinn McDonald is a writer and creativity coach who is astonished each day by the vibrancy of the desert landscape. Read about business coaching at her website, QuinnCreative.com and about creativity coaching at raw-art-journals.com