The other day I walked by one of our neighbors who was out working his garden. Bill is a wonderful gardener and on this particular day he was tilling the soil and getting ready to plant a variety of different kinds of flowers and shrubs. It was fun to watch because he really knew what he was doing, and it was obvious that he loved the work. His garden is a source of great joy to him, and he gets a real kick out of all the fertilizing, weeding, and tilling that goes into producing such a beautiful yard.
As I watched him work, I couldn’t help but think of the similarities between taking care of a garden and taking care of ourselves. Each aspect of a garden needs something a little different to flourish. Some plants may need sunlight, some may need shade. If you have moss in your lawn you use a certain kind of fertilizer and if you want to get rid of weeds you use another. Some plants grow better with lots of water and some don’t need so much.
Most of us are pretty good at figuring out what our garden needs; and if we don’t know we can always ask the person at the nursery. Unfortunately, unlike plants, we don’t come with a tag around our neck describing our unique growing requirements. We are left to figure that out for ourselves.
Do you know what nourishes you? Do you know what is it that recharges you and reconnects you to the world? If you are not sure, take some time and think about what kinds of things feed you on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. The answer may take some digging because we live in a society that does not reinforce self-care.
Focusing on ourselves often translates into being selfish and self-absorbed. However, I am inviting you to challenge that belief. Think about the apple tree that produces such a wonderful fruit. Unless the tree is fertilized, pruned, and watered, it will wither and die and no longer be able to provide us with the fruit we need.
We are like the apple tree. If we want to be able to continue producing fully in all aspects of our lives, we have to take the time to care for and nurture ourselves. We need to discover what our individual “Miracle Grow” is, and then we need to make sure that we use it often to keep our lives as vibrant, productive, and fulfilling as possible.
Do not go where the path may lead, instead go where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
What I loved so much about your blog entry today is that it seemed to create space inside of me. It made me realize that my inner "garden" might need different things on different days. Sunshine is great, but too much and I'm ... wilting under it. Love the coziness of rain, but I don't want to let myself drown. Your words helped me to pay attention to what is needed in the moment. Thanks.
Post a Comment