“The purpose of pruning is to improve the quality of the roses, not to hurt the bush” — Florence Littauer
Our horticulture crews are just wrapping up our first round of shrub and ornamental trimming for the year. Our crews use trimmers to cleanly cut off the tips of branches, and remove old growth, to clean up the overall appearance and remove the new growth that has come and or died off this Spring. We skim the tops and sides of the plant / tree material so they look neat and manicured. We will repeat this process 1-2 more times this season before Winter sets in! If we didn’t manicure them, they would continue to grow and eventually grow out of control. Sometimes to the point where if they had to be aggressively trimmed, it could cause damage to the plant material.
Our leadership thrives and grows just like a garden. Just as our skilled team members prune a landscape to remove old growth and promote new growth, so too must we carefully tend to our personal relationships. In life, we often find ourselves surrounded by various connections, but not all of them contribute positively to our well-being and personal growth. Just like dead or overgrown branches that impede a plant’s progress, toxic or unfulfilling relationships can hinder our development.
In my own personal journey, I’ve come to realize that the same pruning is needed with old relationships that are just not a good fit. The people that come into our lives might just be there for a season. But as we work to grow ourselves in our journey, we need to know and recognize that not everybody will align with our paths. And if we don’t keep things “pruned”, we will never properly grow, or even have time for those that we should grow with. Just as pruning promotes a plant’s growth by stimulating new shoots and branches, the act of removing toxic or stagnant relationships can and will lead to personal growth. When you release yourself from draining connections, you open up opportunities for self-reflection and self-improvement. You have more time and energy to invest into the relationships that nourish your soul and support your growth as an individual.
Just like pruning is an essential practice in landscaping to remove overgrowth, dead or overgrown branches, allowing sunlight and nutrients to reach the healthier parts of the plant, letting go of stagnant or negative relationships creates space for new and positive connections to take root in your life. By clearing away what no longer serves for a bigger purpose, you create a fertile environment for meaningful relationships to blossom and flourish. Just like landscapes change with the seasons, so do our lives. Pruning allows a garden to adapt to these changes, fostering continuous growth and renewal. Similarly, embracing the natural ebb and flow of relationships in your life helps you embrace change, accept the impermanence of connections, and remain open to new opportunities and experiences.
If you skipped the beginning and middle of this teaching, at least don’t miss this summary… Pruning your life relationships is just as vital as pruning a landscape. By removing toxic or unfulfilling connections both personally and in your leadership with those under your charge, you create space for new growth, foster healthy boundaries, and promote personal development. Embracing the practice of pruning allows you to prioritize quality relationships, let go of emotional baggage, and embrace the ever-changing seasons of life. Just like a beautifully tended landscape, a well-curated network of relationships can lead to a fulfilling and flourishing life. Take some time to assess your connections and consider the benefits of pruning to cultivate new growth and personal growth in your life!