How to weed out what no longer serves you.
It’s May here in northern California and the weather continues to be full of surprises with an unseasonably cold week.
Not to be deterred, I was busy in the garden which is crazy full of plant life. Some welcome; others not so much.
As I toiled away clearing the unwanted and overgrown, I reflected on how this is true in life as well.
Sometimes, it's time to weed out what no longer serves you. Droughts are the norm here and they allow only the most resilient of plants to survive much less thrive. But this past year, we were on the receiving end of atmospheric rivers which dumped - seriously - dumped water continuously.
While it’s nice seeing the super blooms, those pesky plants we deem weeds are also prolific.
A weed is vigorous and fast growing. Often where it is not wanted. We have one such plant. It’s a type of geranium called Little Robin. It has little pink flowers and is actually quite lovely by my standards. Early in the season, I made the conscious decision to let it spread and here’s why.
It’s pleasant enough looking.
It spreads quickly making it much harder for those less attractive and more invasive to take root.
It’s easy to remove because of its shallow root system.
Yes, it reduced the number of more aggressive weeds, but at some point, it went from being attractive ground cover to an overgrown mess.
Those pretty pink weeds were just what I needed until I didn’t.
Can you relate?
What are the weeds in your life? Back in my organizing days, I told clients the process of organizing a space requires things to get messy before they become orderly. We would empty an entire closet then start sorting. Deciding what deserved to stay and what no longer served and would be donated for someone else to use. And, yes, what had served its purpose and now was good only for being a rag or discarded altogether. It was work, but the outcome was well worth the effort.
Good news, you, too, can remove the weeds that are no longer serving you. But first, how do you know if it is in fact a weed. (BTW, a weed can be a person, thing or an obligation hiding in plain sight as a commitment.)
How do you know if your little pink flowers have become weeds? Here are some questions I use to help make that decision:
How do I feel when I see it?
What am I avoiding?
What purpose is it currently serving?
What is possible if it isn’t here?
Just as not all weeds are equal, the same is true for what no longer serves us. It doesn’t mean it’s bad or wrong, so don’t let guilt keep you from weeding.
And remember, even what we know doesn’t serve us, still requires work to remove. But as you do that work, you’ll begin to see the beautiful garden that’s waiting to come to life and thrive.
What questions do you ask to know when it’s time to weed out what no longer serves you? I’d love to know. Share your thoughts in the comments below or respond to me here.
Back to the garden for me. How about you? Are you ready to get weeding?