To get a fuller understanding of this post, go back and read my last post.
There have been times when my husband has had to chop bushes back extremely severely, like two and a half months ago in preparation for our house exterior to get painted. We have a hedge along one side of the house, which has always been there, and a long garden full of plumbago across the front veranda. To clear the way for the painter to be able to paint the whole house these bushes needed to be cut down lower than I have ever seen them before. They were cut back severely in order for something else to be improved. And they sat like gardens full of stick sculptures for so long that I was loosing hope for their return.
The good news is that 3 months later the house looks amazing with its much needed fresh coat of paint, and the plants are growing back thicker and fuller and at a better level than I could have imagined!
Two weeks ago I wrote about letting go of some seemingly good things in order to make space for the right things. Today I want to compare my husbands impressive chopping antics to that process of letting go and then finding the next right thing in order to flourish.
The letting go can be severe. It can come with loss of friendships, loss of income , loss of title or job description, loss of routine and I'm sure there are many more possible losses. It can leave you feeling dormant and alone, like an empty stick sculpture. Barren and a bit lifeless or naked and vulnerable.
I am in this process now. Cutting back, slowing down, trying to learn to say no and constantly fighting the guilt of my inner voice telling me that I am being unproductive and wasting time. And I hate that I feel like I am still trying to find my purpose at my age, it feels like it's an ever changing process.
But, I am learning to use this still and quiet time to stop, breath and listen in to what the Creator is revealing to me about what is coming. To not fall into depression or mourning for the loss, but rather seeing this time as a positive time where I can rest for a moment, refocus, then begin to make plans, explore opportunities and research things that will help me make the best decisions for the future.
This might mean that I pull out a calendar and plot some actions for the next few months, or look into any courses that I could do to improve my skills in a certain area or taking myself on a retreat or to a conference to focus on a plan of action.
I am not giving up on my dreams around fashion design and my SuzziMaggs label, so please order something from my collections and I'll get it made and off to you within the week! But I do need it to be more purposeful than me just designing and making a few sweet outfits. I'm having thoughts around how to make this happen and I need to explore them more.
This blog is not looking to teach anyone how to become great at small business, or attempting to try my hand at life coaching, there are plenty of courses out there already run by people who actually know what they are doing (and succeeding) in those areas, I would just like to encourage you to check in with the one who designed you with a particular plan and purpose in mind and make sure that you are on the right track.
So just as the heavy pruning of my garden made things look dormant, lifeless and barren for a while, cutting back on your usual life activities can look and feel the same. Yet all the while the plants were re-grouping, gathering resources and working hard below the surface so that the end result is new growth and flourishing. The pruning can be severe but when you align yourself with the Creators plans the new growth will be astonishing.
Here are pictures of the hedges today growing strong despite the winter chill.
John 15:2 "He (God) cuts 0ff every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful."
Thank you for reading,
Love Suzanne
To receive 10% off your next order of the summer 2020 or Winter 2021 collection use coupon code: PRUNING
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