I was weeding the garden today. Yes, pulling up West Coast Cure Weed. I start wondering just what a weed is. According to the dictionary a weed is “any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted.” I noticed there were indeed undesirable and troublesome plants in the garden some of which were quite profuse. I also noticed that my perennials, those plants that come back year after year, were now populating unwanted places. I used to just leave them because they were desirable plants. They were better than nothing. Today I realized that they were taking the space and nutrients of what I want to grow.
How does this apply to the garden of life? What are your weeds? Are they time fillers? Are they things? Are they people? Do they take the space and energy that something more useful could use? They may. The first step is to get clear about desired choices. That will distinguish the desired from the undesired. Are you reluctant to weed things that would actually free up energy?
What about actions? Are there some actions that could be weeded? If something is done to “kill time,” it seems like it would be a weed. Television comes to mind as an activity that is recommended weeding. There is the question of content. There is also the question of what else could be accomplished during that time. The same is brought up with emails. They can be an amazing distraction. People who are effective and efficient with time are better at weeding.
Things can be weeds. Do you look around and see things that are troublesome? Perhaps they are the things that need to be fixed and just sit there. Or the clutter you notice only when you have guests over. Or the clothes that used to fit or used to be in fashion and you are hoping either they will fit again or be the latest and greatest clothing trend.
Consider people, the people who work for you or the people you spend time with. Do you find they have less value than they used to? If so, they may be weeds. There may be additional time and energy to put into carefully selected people who are more rewarding. A sign of that growth is finding one’s acquaintances frustrating or even irritating to be around. When I hear someone expressing that frustration, acquaintance assessment time is near. The determination of who will be weeded from the acquaintance pool is imminent. Certainly there is a chance to redefine relationships. With change often there is weeding of people. Weeding leaves space for more favorable people. As a life coach, I watch people expand their horizons and grow past their previous acquaintances.
Do you weed regularly? Would you like more of what you want in life? If there is a continual shortage of time, look at the desired vision compared to what is eating up the time. There may be weeds sucking up time. Perhaps things are overcrowded. If there is clutter, closets spitting back because they are so full, or a garage that has little room for a car, weeding things could be the answer. If there are people who are not pulling their weight or are no longer fun to be around, they can be a drain rather than an asset. They may have already served their purpose. The challenge is to make way for the new by letting go of the old. Weeding is the opportunity to get rid of undesirable or troublesome people, things and actions. Weed today to have your dream garden tomorrow!
