Lessons from the Garden

After threatening to do this for some time and a few feeble attempts, I am finally gardening with some good results.

I am humbled by the feeling of helping things grow and the honor of watching life happen day-to-day.

There are so many lessons that come up for me as I tend my garden.

One lesson is about selective nurturing.

I was initially thrilled that I have snails in my garden. I think snails are really cute.

I was devastated when I realized they were harming my plants. I could nurture the snails or the plants, but not both.

Life is like that, too. We have to decide what our focus will be, and sometimes ruthlessly favor one thing over another, depending on our goals.

Another lesson is about where we put our energy.

When tending a plant it is best to cut off old blooms and damaged leaves. That way the plant can put all its energy into new growth. Wouldn’t it be great if we could let go of our own damage so easily?

For me this has become a useful image. Am I putting energy into sustaining damage that no longer serves me? Can I simply remove that damage, heal, and put my energy into new growth instead?

Plants make everything seem so simple.