Don't Just Stand There. Weed!

This morning I was out walking Millie and passed a house that I love because of the profusion of flowers filling the front yard. In the midst of all the flowers, I noticed a little sign for the first time, "Don't just stand there. Weed." It made me laugh, then it made me think.

It's true that weeds can start to overtake a beautiful flower bed, seemingly overnight, if they aren't controlled. Unwanted weeds can choke out the flowers you want to have room to grow and bloom. It made me think of the things in life that take over and choke out the good things that we want to grow and bloom.

Even though it meant making the decision to pull some weeds, here are some of the things I made room for recently.

I made room for learning new things. I've messed around with chalk paint a bit, but was always intimidated by whether or not I was using it right. I decided to take a class offered at Retro Sip & Seat, a unique venue in downtown Hartsville. Not only was it a fun night of meeting new people and supporting a local business, I walked away with new knowledge of supplies, techniques and creative ideas that will give me confidence the next time I want to paint something. http://www.retrofitsipnseat.com/

I made room for being creative. It's really easy to tackle the day-to-day distractions that come up and then at the end of the day you realize that most of what you accomplished could have waited, and that you could have carved out time to sit and let your creative juices flow. I joined a 100-day challenge on Instagram that forces me to think creatively every day, even if only for a few minutes.

I made room for Millie. Having a pet is certainly a wonderful thing, but it can bring about changes to a daily routine that can be challenging. Several weeks ago, my youngest son who lives in San Francisco, asked if I would consider taking Millie, a rescue dog that has been part of our family for about 11 years, but the majority of that time she has lived with Jordan. Even though he adores her, he realized that her life would be happier in a place other than a small city apartment, alone for hours at a time. Even though I knew having here would add a whole new set of challenges, those have been greatly outweighed by the delightful companion she is to me. That early morning walk that I have found a million reasons not to do, has become easier now because we do it together.

What do you need to get rid of in your life that will create room for something better to grow? Pulling weeds is hard work, but the results can be glorious!