Are you letting go for a complete recovery?
A lesson from my once-infested golden pothos
What causes people to get stuck in their attempts to move beyond a trauma?
When I noticed that one of my pothos plants had an infestation, I moved it from my house to my garden, away from other plants, where I could rinse it off and free it from the problem.
My efforts were successful, and today the plant is free of mites.
During its rehabilitation, several of its vines rooted into the ground. With winter’s approach, the plant needed to move despite its comfort in its place of healing. The pothos could not survive a frost in my yard so I needed to uproot in preparation of moving somewhere warm.
In my observation of this process, I noticed a parallel between this pothos and people.
What happens when we become so attached to our recovery, that we struggle to let it go, ultimately keeping us from moving to a place where it can’t hold us back anymore?
If we don’t uproot before the frost comes and move to a place where we can survive, we set ourselves us for devastation. Our inability to move on from one challenge means the next one will be our demise.
We are the result of how we spend our time and what we think about, so letting go of our trauma means we need to address our attachment through our hobbies, habits, and routines. It isn’t easy to venture into the unfamiliar, but if we aren’t willing to move away from what is familiar, we stop ourselves from growing.
In my own experiences with trauma and challenge, there are a few things that have helped me move on:
Journaling
Community
Imagining the life I want to live
Journaling helps me track my progress and be objective about myself. Taking my thoughts from pen to paper means that I have data to review outside of my head that I can use to be honest with myself, and ensure I keep moving forward.
Community is another invaluable resource, as trusted loved ones can provide support and encouragement as well as help keep us accountable for our progress. I’m grateful for the people in my life who were firm with me when I needed a push to move forward from a difficulty that help me back.
Another way I find healing is by imagining the life I want to live in the future. What role do I want that obstacle to have in my future? How present is it in my hobbies, habits, and routines? I use my vision to consider what changes I need to make to achieve my goals, and live a life unburdened by past experiences.
Regardless of where you are in your healing process — maybe you just discovered your infestation, or perhaps you’re ready to uproot your vines — my heart is with you as you recover. Like my pothos, your potential is unlimited if you take of yourself and focus on growth.
For more personal reflection, check out my guided journal SEASONS OF GROWTH: A JOURNAL FOR WELL-BEING INSPIRED BY TREES
Allow me to inspire your team this February with an interactive POTTING WORKSHOP focused on well-being & community!
Read my personal growth book inspired my plants HOW TO GROW: NURTURE YOUR GARDEN, NURTURE YOURSELF