Doctor's Orders for a Cheerful And Healthy Internal Garden
Finally, the sun's warmth is reaching the pacific northwest and new growth is sprouting, blooming, and growing everywhere. What will your harvest be this year?
Because there may be some seeds in your garden that you didn’t plant or mean to plant. Seeds of discontent and burnout, born out of stress and dissatisfaction due to the pressures of our daily lives.
I believe deep-seated systemic problems plant the seeds of burnout. When we feel powerless and devoid of agency, these seeds find fertile, moist ground in which to thrive. Focusing on what you can’t change brings nutrients and other growth elements. Because when you think you’re trapped, you feel trapped. And then the seedlings germinate and grow relentlessly. Like weeds.
Once above ground, they can reach your conscious awareness. When this happens, there is an opportunity to uproot them. If you don’t, they will get bigger and stronger until you can’t pull them out. Now they must be dug up, along with the soil that surrounds them.
If your garden has been neglected you will have to work much harder to get it back to even an acceptable growth situation. My brother experienced this firsthand recently when he spent precious weekend hours clearing extensive blackberry bushes from a local park – a laborious endeavor due to the garden not being rigorously tended.
Ideally, we should tackle these weeds while they are still small. By carefully evaluating what can and cannot be changed, we can identify which issues can be effortlessly uprooted. And which ones will require a more potent metaphorical weed killer. Sometimes, we need to seek additional support and take action to eradicate the underlying causes.
But just like with weeds, this is not a one-time task. You must remain vigilant to keep your inner landscape free of undesired growth. By cultivating ongoing awareness, you can stop growth before it becomes deeply rooted and prevent the weeds from taking over. As time goes by, it will become easier and easier.
As you tend to your garden this year, dedicate yourself to the continuous effort of maintaining a healthy and flourishing inner landscape. Remember that you alone have the power to find your available options, and free yourself from the invasive weeds of burnout and discontent.
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