One of my goals for 2016 was to plant and grow a bigger garden. I was off to a good start. I enlarged the size of my garden last fall. I planted more vegetables in the spring. I kept my garden watered and weeded. I fell short in one area. But not all is lost. I’ve learned a lesson about tending the garden of my soul.
So where did I fall short in my gardening venture this year?
The Harvest
I didn’t let the whole garden go to seed, but I also didn’t get everything harvested on time. This led me to do some soul searching. Should I keep gardening? I’m already a single dad with a full-time teaching gig. Is tending a garden adding too much to my plate? How passionate am I about gardening? Really?
After some extended thought, I’ve decided to turn my garden into a simple landscaped area next spring. Two years ago, I landscaped the front yard in a minimalist style. Last summer, I created a small zen garden along my driveway. These projects took a little time, but once completed, they became very low maintenance. For me, low maintenance is part of simple living. But there’s more to the story.
Tending To The Garden Of Your Soul
I believe it’s important to review our lives from time to time. We need to ask ourselves some hard questions:
- What’s most important for our families?
- What’s most important for our personal growth?
- What’s most important for our spiritual walk?
- What activities fit the lifestyle we desire?
- What activities truly make us happy?
- What is the cost/benefit ratio?
After asking myself these questions, I came to a major conclusion:
Writing Is The Garden Of My Soul
I do enjoy planting and tending a garden, but I’d be more content spending my time writing. It’s just as easy to buy organic produce from local farmer’s markets than it is to grow my own. I’ll save time. I’ll have more time to write, create music, and exercise. Perhaps, I’ll still grow a few vegetables, but only a handful.
Have you prioritized the things that are most important to you and your family? Have you considered which activities are your soul activities? Have you considered which activities bring you the most personal reward?
Tend Your Garden And Be Happy
I encourage you to tend your garden. But we all have different kinds of gardens. Mine is a garden of words and notes. Yours might be a garden of fruits and vegetables, wood and wire, or canvas and paint.
Consider your priorities and start tending the garden of your soul. You’ll discover more personal growth, more contentment, more happiness.
