The blackberry bramble in our backyard is bursting with beautiful, shiny, berries. They are hanging there, within easy reach, ripe and ready to fall off into your fingers at the slightest tug and melt in your mouth with the sweet juicy yumminess that comes at this time of year. My daughter and I have been watching the berries ripen slowly over the last few weeks. And lately, we’ve been going out there almost every evening to pick some “best ones” as Ella calls them, to put into our yogurt.

Last night she got a scratch as she was reaching for one of those “best ones.” When she said, “Ouch, I got a scratch Dada.” I said, “Yes, that sometimes happens when you’re reaching for the one you really want.”

And as I said it I realized that this entire process of watching and waiting for the berries to ripen has been filled with powerful Law of Attraction lessons.

So in no particular order here are a few of the Law of Attraction Lessons the Blackberry Bramble has taught me:

1. Desires need time to ripen just like blackberries. Whenever you set an intention, there will be a period of growing and ripening. Patience is required during this time. If you pick a blackberry before it is ripe, the tartness or even bitterness fills your mouth. This can be an extra big shock for a mouth expecting the sweet juicyness of a ripe berry! So too, attempting to “pick” one of your desires before it is ripe can lead to disappointing results. Don’t be in such a rush to have your desire ripen. Give it the time it needs to become plump, juicy and sweet. And then truly savor the sweetness of it when the time is right!

2. It takes work to get what you want. Early in the season when the few ripe berries are hidden back deep in the brambles, you have to work to get them. You have to gingerly thread your hand in through the brambles reaching for that one that looks so plump and juicy back there. It is the same with our desires. Attaining them requires work. You need to focus on what you want and be willing to take the time and risk to work you way through the obstacles to get it.

3. Sometimes you’ll get scratched reaching for your desires. Blackberry brambles are quite adept at protecting their sweet prizes. If you’re not careful (and sometimes even when you are) you’ll end up with some scratches on your arms and legs. But (in my opinion) the reward of those sweet juicy berries is well worth it! Somehow the sweetness of that just-plucked blackberry immediately takes away the pain from any scratches you may have gotten. Likewise, when we reach for our desires, there may be some times that we get “scratched.” But if we can hold onto the taste of the sweet, juicy reward in our mind, those scratches will be worth it.

4. Desires have seasons. Right now we’re at the peak of blackberry season. And while that means that there are “best ones” everywhere we look. It also means that we are heading towards the end of the season when there will no longer be any blackberries. Already, with so many ripe berries on the bramble, there are far too many for us to pick. And every day we see more and more shriveled, dry berries that have gone past their prime. The Law of Attraction teaches the importance of continual expansion. When you attain one desire, enjoy it, savor it, celebrate it, but do not get caught in the trap of thinking that the process is over. Do not let yourself become dry and shriveled like those blackberries. When the season is over on one desire, move on to the next one. Enjoy the cycles of expansion.

What lessons have you learned from the blackberry bramble? Share them in the comments below!