A man asked a gardener why his plants grew so beautifully. The gardener said: “I don’t force them to grow, I remove what stops them. “ — wethinkdeeply
Part of fostering spacious thinking and being is understanding what needs to be removed.
We’re often so focused on what we need to add to our lives, routines, and thinking to be better and achieve more. However, through this process, we often overlook the things that occupy too much space—the things that need to go.
Sometimes, it requires discernment to recognise what unhelpful lens needs to be removed. Other times, we need the courage to let go of something that once served us but no longer does.
Depending on which situation you’re facing, you’re either experiencing the shock of recognising something huge that you once accepted as entirely normal, or you’re confronting loss, and the challenge of trusting that once something is released, you create the capacity to welcome something new.
Both moments are frightening and unknown, yet both are necessary for growth and transformation. Being brave enough to face either situation means embracing discomfort. Discomfort means shedding old layers and making room for what wants to emerge.
The gardener’s wisdom isn’t just about plants—it’s about recognising that our most profound growth often happens not through acquisition but through the courageous act of letting go.
Sometimes, the most loving thing we can do for ourselves is to stop trying so hard to add more and instead ask: what needs to be cleared away so that who we truly are can finally flourish?
