Have you ever judged yourself as not being good enough to do it all?
Not Wanting To Let Go
I have.
But as I cleared away layers of dead leaves and decay from my yard after two years of neglect, I was reminded of the uselessness of self-condemnation.
This happened a number of years ago at a busy time of life.
Those two years had been ones of personal growth and stretching in ways that demanded much of me.
I had started my own business, created and presented on-line tele-summits, taught on-line programs, studied and learned new skill sets, all while farming alongside my husband and being a mother to six children in various stages of their lives.
Trying To Do It All
I tried to continue on with my usual work of pruning, preparing soil, planting, watering, weeding and maintaining a large yard, but quickly found myself overwhelmed.
There were not enough hours in the day, nor did I have enough energy.
I had to let something go, and that ended up being my yard.
I gave myself permission to let the yard be.
There are times in our lives, such as illness, loss of work, starting a new endeavor, changing family dynamics that may disrupt our normal routine.
What we once took for granted as our status quo is no longer possible.
How Do You Respond
How do you respond to such situations?
Even if it’s something positive, change can be difficult.
What I’ve discovered is that our response directly affects our happiness and our ability to transition successfully.
In this experience of letting my gardening go, I at first felt bad that I didn’t have time for my yard.
I felt bad it didn’t look as nice.
I felt guilty and second-guessed my decisions.
But Here’s The Key
Once I eliminated the negative self-judgment and instead chose to accept that for a time my focus was elsewhere, I freed myself up to have the experiences I needed without regret.
Guilt no longer held me back.
Two Vital Questions
When we recognize that things are not working for us, ask these questions and listen to your answers.
- Are there areas in my life that I’m holding onto just because it’s always been that way but that are no longer uplifting or serving me?
- Is this activity, or expectation nurturing or supporting me, or is it sapping me of my enthusiasm for life?
After A Few Years
A few years later, I was able to return to my garden and yard and enjoy the work.
I had the experiences and growth I desired, while increasing my options for how to spend my time.
Letting some things go for a time allowed me the freedom to now choose how, when, and where to spend my energies.
In other words, it brought new life.
Much love,
