My plants were all dying. I didn't know what to do.
I had been traveling for a couple weeks, and loaned my apartment to somebody who didn't water the plants.
When I arrived home, they were all destroyed and desperate for water.
I tried everything to save my plants. I washed each one of their leaves by hand, put them in direct sunlight, watered them everyday. Nothing worked.
Luckily, my friend Mo happened to stop by. She's somebody who prefers to spend time in deep forests, and oceans attuning herself to nature. I showed her the worst of my plants, and shared my feeble attempts to save it.
What she did next shocked me. She began plucking off the leaves! One by one I saw her rip apart my plant baby. Next, she took some scissors and hacked off some branches. When she finished, I felt devastated. My once beautiful plant with its sprawling branches, was little more than a small trunk.
She explained, by trimming the dying branches, the plant can now focus it's energy on the healthy ones and begin to grow again. I didn't believe her at first. It felt like my plant was a goner. There was no way it would grow back.
Sure enough, day by day, she began to sprout new leaves. Her branches grew back healthier than ever, and I'm happy to report she's never looked better.
I share this story to remind us that sometimes we have to trim our own branches. These branches may consist of old relationships, habits, obligations, or all the above. By trimming these branches we make space for new ones to grow. By trimming these branches, we refocus our energy on our core, and growing the healthy bits.
The hardest branches to cut are the ones which have been with us the longest. These branches may feel like they're a part of us, because in their own way, they are. But make no mistake, we must cut these branches too if we want to thrive.Unlike plants, we trim our own branches via tough conversations, not scissors. Remember, when having these conversations, to do so with kindness. Also remember, you’re trimming, not burning your branches. Trim them from a place of love so that the whole plant may thrive again.
So I ask you, where in your life do you need to trim the branches? Reflect on this question - Does anything, or anybody jump to mind? If so, don't fear. Awareness is the first step to healthy action.
Cut what doesn't serve you. Do so with kindness. Focus your energy on the new. Shed, and simplify to grow tall, and it won't be long before your revitalized plant bears fruit.
P.S. If there’s ever anything I can do to be helpful, please don’t hesitate to reach out by responding to this email, or book a time to chat.