By cluttering up our lives with the “wrong” kind of people, we don’t have space for those who are deserving of our love and care. It’s not that the “wrong” people are intrinsically wrong, just not right for us. This might sound a bit ruthless but it’s not.
Relationships are like plants. Weeds can overgrow and choke the flowers. Pull out the weeds.
Flowers need watering, tending, nurturing. Some relationships can be like orchids. The wonderful blooms die off leaving a dead-looking stick and then, out of the blue, new buds start to form off that apparently dead stick and soon you have fantastic flowers again. But you have to keep watering the plant even when it looks like it’s dead. Some plants need daily attention. None thrive without it.
Don’t take those close to you for granted. Here are some simple ways to nurture the flowers in your life.
- Find ways to be generous – small gestures mean a lot.
- Show appreciation – make it a habit to say thank you and show you care.
- Do things together – prioritise and make time for this.
- Be there when the going gets tough – even if it means personal sacrifice.
Care for your family, your close friends, those who make a contribution to you. The thing is that by doing this you are actually nurturing yourself, enriching the soil in which you grow.
This is a major part of learning to win at the Inner Game of Health.