Is it time to weed your garden?

It is a Saturday in July. Not just any Saturday, rather one where it is a screaming 30+ degrees "without the humidity" as we like to say. Yep, this is the day that I take a look over at a patch of garden just beyond my sunroom and decide, it is time. Now is the time that this garden needs to be weeded.

Fast forward four hours and several blisters later and it is done. Sigh, relief and a huge sense of accomplishment. My garden has been refreshed.

The next morning as I am enjoying my coffee on the deck I look over and admire my hard work and bam! It hits me...what a metaphor!

Now that the weeds have been removed, I can clearly see all the plants that have been covered up by the shade of the weeds. Plants that are already starting to stand tall again and believe it or not, a couple of them have blossoms starting to unfurl. And the space, the luxurious space that has been opened up around the plants. Space for breathing and space for potential growth that had been shrouded by the weeds. I am in awe as I look at the resilience that nature has. Just by removing some obstacles, the garden responds almost instantly to the light that is available to it and the air around it. It is able to flourish again.The word "refreshed" comes to mind again.

Metaphors. Why am I spending time sharing this with you?

How often do we let the "weeds" in our life overpower our garden? These "weeds" can show up as people, ideas, crappy TV shows we watch, too much news or other situations that can block our growth. It could be the "weeds" of other people's attitudes or opinions; ideas that you realize aren't actually yours; maybe it is someone's tradition you are carrying on because um, why again? Maybe you are knee deep in a project and realize you don't believe in it. Opinions and advice, all shared with the greatest of intentions yet, they somehow have begun to overshadow your plants. They take over and hide the light so the plants begin to wilt and crumple. By carefully weeding out and separating what is "yours' and what is someone else's the plants are able to stand tall again. The space created allows time for reflection and also time for new growth to occur.

So how about you? Is it time to spend sometime weeding in your garden? Take a moment to notice. Is it time to question something that doesn't seem right anymore? Maybe do that and see what happens.