Do You Need Pruning?

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.

Raymond Lindquist

Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.

Herman Hesse

One problem with gazing too frequently into the past is that we may turn around to find the future has run out on us.

Michael Cibenko
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Article from Dawn Brown's Perception Shift Newsletter - Enjoy!


This fall I went on a tour of the wine region in Southern Ontario. The words of one vineyard owner struck a chord with me. He told our group that he prunes 95% of his grapevines. Without pruning you end up with lots of grapes, more than the vine can handle and so quality suffers.

This reminded me of a beautiful flowering plant I had in my office years ago. Over time it flowered less and less and then it started to look scraggly. I just couldn't get it to thrive the way it had in the past. A colleague told me I needed to cut it back. That sounded cruel and I politely refused. He offered to do it. Again, no thanks!

There came a time when the plant looked more dead than alive and I agreed to let him prune it. I should have stayed in the room while he did it. When I returned there was nothing left of the plant - just a couple of stumps.

Funny thing happened after a few weeks though - life reappeared. And in no time I had a plant that was healthy and more beautiful than it had ever been. That plant became my metaphor for letting go of what no longer fits who I am while clearing a space for rebirth to happen.

We hang on to things, people, situations, memories - long past their expiration dates. Replaying memories over and over, painful or happy ones, can keep us stuck in the past and stop us from seeing and appreciating the beauty in the present.

Now is a good time to do a life inventory. What needs to exit your life for your own personal and professional growth?
 
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dawnbrown@perceptionshift.com 
phone: 613-728-0887
web: http://www.perceptionshift.com/
Now avaialable - Dawn's latest book "Been There, Done That... Now What?" http://www.beentheredonethatnowwhat.com/
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A very thought-provoking question.  Do you have "stuff" hanging around in your house?  In your office?  In your mind?  Are there things you should get rid of that you've been hanging on to for "sometime" or "a rainy day"?  Is it time for you to prune?

Have a wonderful day

Fran Watson