What if we saw letting go (of old patterns, the past, and things that no longer serve us) as composting, would that help to make the process more meaningful and the struggle less scary?
When I think about life I find that metaphors and analogies help to put me in a framework and perspective that I can relate to.
And so, in the process of once more letting go of things that no longer serve me, the image of composting came to mind. I’ve been pruning, cutting back, raking up dead leaves, and tending to my garden – to prepare it for winter, if you will.
Turning over the soil in our lives and dealing with what is hurting us is like composting. The bits that don’t belong won’t help nourish the soil and support healthy plants; in fact, it can lead to toxic soil conditions and dry crumbly dirt.
We have the seeds of hope and possibility in us and our gardens need some tending, or rather, letting go of what no longer serves us.
And letting go can be a struggle. It’s hard to let go of people, behaviors, stories, and beliefs that have helped us to survive and make sense of the world; and yet, there often comes a time when the struggle to maintain and hold onto those old ways causes more pain than the possibility of change.
Letting go, like composting, opens up new ways to live a more authentic and nutrient rich life.
Composting and turning over our life’s experiences helps to create and give rise to what is already there.
Our soil is full of seeds waiting to germinate and grow once we’ve tended to our garden and composted all that is dead and no longer alive or needed in our lives.
We can create a better life with intention and actively compost to give way to exciting future possibilities.
Happy gardening.
Comments