One Weed At A Time

“You have a beautiful yard,” I told my friend. “It must take a lot of time and effort to maintain.” “I do spend many hours weeding,” Robert admitted. Then he shared a wisdom that is both simple and profound. “If I look at the entire task, it can be overwhelming. I’ve learned to tackle it one weed at a time.” One weed at a time. That is a great motto for life! What does this phrase say to you? Weeds left unattended in a garden will take over and choke out the good plants. In the same way, weeds in my life can also choke out the good things. It is unrealistic to think I can eliminate all of the weeds, or negative attitudes and behaviours in my life in one fell swoop. I can, however, work on them bit by bit. When I release a grudge I hold, the anger is loosened making it easier to uproot and get rid of it. By pulling out this weed, peace and forgiveness are able to take root in its place. Every time I choose love and understanding over judgement, another weed is removed. I am most productive when I focus only on the weed directly in front of me and spend the time necessary to get to the root of the matter. Some require more digging in order to unearth them. Thanks to Robert’s advice, I will no longer be discouraged by the task in front of me. Instead, I will glance back and appreciate how far I’ve come, one weed at a time.