The Cycle of Regeneration
Harvesting your rewards
The beautiful, bountiful plum trees in the UK are coming upon their harvest this month. Plums in every color are ripe and ready to be enjoyed, but great care must be taken with this harvest to ensure a crop for the next year.
Just like the harvest of fruits and vegetables we enjoy this season, we are enjoying the fruits of our labor, the seeds we have planted previously have become beautiful plants in which we must tend! The hard work is showing, and we are feeling stronger. As this particular season in our life moves along through time we may start to notice that some things just do not serve us and our goals any longer. It’s time to prune off the old growth to allow for new growth to flourish.
Pruning off the old growth
We return once again to the United Kingdom, and as soon as the harvest of plums is completed, the trees are pruned back to allow the branches to heal before winter’s frost. The process of renewal begins again each Spring, as the northern hemisphere begins to stretch and rise from its slumber.
According to the LSU College of Agriculture, the first step in pruning is to remove any dead, broken or diseased branches. They recommend removing any branches that cross and prevent light and air circulation, and finally, they point the limbs in the direction where new growth is desired. A lot of beautiful parallels can be drawn between this process and how we can establish a new direction in our personal or professional development.
We often know when the right time is to prune off the old growth in our lives, we need only listen to our intuition. You may be feeling dragged down or less energetic, or perhaps you even feel paralyzed to take the next step in your journey. The process of letting go of what we no longer need is freeing, and offers us a lighter version of ourselves. Pruning back our life often offers us the same rapid growth that the plum trees see.
What we release creates space for the new to grow.
Here are a few things I recommend pruning back:
Time Wasting Activities
If you have ever scrolled through social media for an hour aimlessly, or been pulled into the gravitational pull of Candy Crush, you know what this feels like! I invite you to turn off your cellular data for a weekend, get out into the world and explore! Get some extra chores done around your home, spend time with friends you miss, and go live!
Over-Commitments
It’s hard to say no to all the activities, and possibilities out there, but choosing what brings you the most joy is the best way to encourage growth in your life. When we choose commitments that bring us joy, we are saying yes to our lives, and to ourselves. The
Idea of Perfection
This is a tough one! In theory we can all probably agree that “perfect” doesn’t exist, but this is a little harder when it comes to the expectations and standards we often set for ourselves. What does exist is the feeling that everything is as it should be, even if it’s a little messy, or didn’t turn out the way you expected.
Tomorrow morning I want you to look in the mirror, hands to heart, and repeat this mantra by author Louise Hay:
“All that I seek is already within me. Life supports me in every way possible.”
Flourish
\‘fləriSH
verb
1. (of a person, animal, or other living organism) grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment.
I want you to know that it is ok to grow, and to leave behind what does not serve your life’s purpose or passions. I want you to know that it is ok to be you, and live the life you have always imagined.
With gratitude and patience for ourselves and the world around us, we can flourish into our best selves.
Make a promise to yourself this week to consciously check on your mind, body, and spirit. On Wednesday, please join me for my weekly Mid-Day Breathing Break, and kickstart your journey to living your truth.
Register for this free weekly event on the 3 Elements Eventbrite page