Failure as Fertilizer: Learning to Bloom Again with Debbie Millman

The One You Feed

Eric Zimmer

Education, Self-improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Health & Fitness, Buddhism, Mental Health

4.6 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 27 May 2025

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Debbie Millman explores how we can use failure as fertilizer and learn to bloom again. Debbie's book and this conversation is about more than just gardening tips or tools, it's about what happens when we let ourselves be bad at something, especially later in life. Debbie opens up about learning to grow and why failure might be the richest soil we have. Whether you've ever felt stuck, afraid to try, or unsure if it's too late to start.

Key Takeaways:

Personal growth and development through gardening
Lessons learned from failure and embracing new experiences
The metaphor of gardening as a reflection of personal growth
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal endeavors
The importance of understanding circumstances that affect growth
The balance between effort and environmental conditions in achieving success
The significance of being a beginner and confronting fears later in life
The role of external support and accountability in personal challenges
The interplay between creativity, self-worth, and professional obligations
The connection between nature, personal experiences, and emotional well-being

If you enjoyed this conversation with Debbie Millman, check out these other episodes:

Fluke or Fate? Embracing Uncertainty to Live a Fuller Life with Brian Klaas

How to Find Zest in Life with Dr. John Kaag

For full show notes, click here!

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You don't control nature, not in the slightest.
0:02.9	Nature is much bigger and stronger and more capable.
0:07.0	And that is a very liberating realization.
0:11.9	You can do your best.
0:13.0	You can try your best.
0:14.0	You can try to provide the best possible conditions.
0:17.1	And you have to just leave it at the door.
0:27.2	Thank you. and you have to just leave it at the door. Welcome to the one you feed.
0:29.6	Throughout time, great thinkers have recognized the importance of the thoughts we have.
0:34.1	Quotes like, garbage in, garbage out, or you are what you think, ring true. And yet,
0:40.3	for many of us, our thoughts don't strengthen or empower us. We tend toward negativity, self-pity,
0:46.8	jealousy, or fear. We see what we don't have instead of what we do. We think things that hold us
0:52.7	back and dampen our spirit.
0:54.9	But it's not just about thinking.
0:57.0	Our actions matter.
0:58.5	It takes conscious, consistent, and creative effort to make a life worth living.
1:03.3	This podcast is about how other people keep themselves moving in the right direction,
1:07.6	how they feed their good wolf.
1:11.6	It's not every day that someone you think you know.
1:15.6	Someone urbane, accomplished, cerebral, shows up with mud on their boots and tears in their eyes from doing a pull-up.
1:23.6	Debbie Millman, longtime host of Design Matters and acclaimed designer, returns to the show with a quiet surprise, a book about gardening.
1:33.6	But the garden isn't about tips or tools.
	...

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