A colleague of mine who owns a small farm in Texas shared a fig tree lesson with me.

I found the application essential, inspiring, and timely for my life and wanted to pass it on to you.

“The fig trees are over here talking to me and what they’re saying might surprise you.

You may, or may not, know that figs produce fruit on new growth so pruning them is important to having a high fruit production.

What you may not realize is what they’re saying about our human life.  They’re telling us the value of creating space for what matters most in our lives so that we can have an abundant and fulfilling life.”

Our days, weeks, months are often filled with:

• giving into the tyranny of the urgent

• thoughts that we keep returning to over and over

• unfulfilled dreams – things we’d like to do for which we never plan or for which we never find time

• [Not-so-good] thoughts we have about ourselves that seem all too true. Those negative identities we’re creating for ourselves that I talked about in a recent post: I am a new creation.

• people pleasing

• saying yes to things that don’t align with our values and/or priorities

• adding activities to our lives because we see others we admire “doing so much”

• “multitasking” because it FEELS like we’ll be more productive, get more done quickly; not realizing we’re not getting more done, and likely, nothing is getting done well.

• going to bed late, getting up early, and not feeling fully rested

Sound familiar?

This is where I often find myself, trying to do more (because I think I don’t do enough), “multitasking,” saying yes to too many activities,…

Essentially inviting chaos into my life, instead of calmness.

The figs are telling us a truth that seems counter intuitive.

Less is more.

Constraining and pruning the parts of my life that aren’t working for me or are not serving my highest interest creates more space and energy for what I truly want.

Not from a mindset of hacking away.

Rather starting with awareness; just awareness, and small, intentional shifts over time.

As I do this I feel more settled, more grounded.

When I pick ONE thing TODAY to prune, I open the door for flourishing in another area.

I can watch that pruning action produce something abundant in my life.

This fig tree lesson reminded me of a teaching from my time management training that I’d not been practicing as well as I can.

By constraining my activities and what I want to accomplish in a given week (or time frame), I am able to accomplish more and be more fulfilled.

I am able to complete what’s important instead of doing many things part way, showing up late, forgetting things I’d said I’d do, …

I can choose to NOT invite chaos into my life by constraining and choosing to say no to some activities.  To narrow my focus.  To not indulge in FOMO (FEAR OF MISSING OUT)

“If we don’t plan, there’s no room for spontaneity.” Charlotte Smith

I know I’m being a little vague. I’m not saying what it is I need to prune out of my life.

I am working on that. 

In short, I want to serve God and others.  I want to experience more joy in the journey.

As I mentioned above, change begins with awareness.

We need to first be AWARE of an area in our lives that isn’t serving us or with which we are unhappy/dissatisfied.

So awareness first. Then acceptance.

Before we can make real change, we need to ACCEPT what is as it is.

Acceptance doesn’t equal liking something; it doesn’t mean submission to a degrading situation.

It’s just acknowledging that the way something is right now is just that; the way it is right now.

“It means accepting the fact of a situation, then deciding what we’ll do about it.”

Acceptance can be POWERFUL because it makes choice possible.”¹

When I give myself time to accept my situation before I act, unforeseen options can become available to me.

Additionally, I am much more likely to succeed in making change if I come from a place of self-acceptance and self-love, rather than self-degradation.

A helpful tool in raising awareness of areas of my life where priorities may be off and/or where I want to see change is taking the time to write down my top five priorities in life.

And then looking at the past week and comparing my activities to those five priorities.

Are they aligned?

If they’re not aligned, let me draw awareness to where they’re not, take time to accept what is, and look at what I’d like to see change and how with God’s help I can start to make incremental changes.

As I said earlier, there are many things I want to see change in my life. I am a work in progress, far from where I’d like to be.  But I can track progress.

I will celebrate my progress and accomplishments and give thanks to God for His help and His ever abiding presence with me.

I invite you to see your progress and accomplishments and to celebrate them.

Please, if you’re saying I don’t see any progress or accomplishments, reach out to me so I can help you.

Schedule a free consultation so we can talk.

Let me help you see your progress and let me help you move forward even more.

Or if you’d like help figuring out what you’d like to weed/prune out of your life so you can flourish in other areas, also reach out to me.

We’re not meant to do life alone. We’re meant to be in community and to spur one another on to love and good works.

I’m here for you.

Click here to schedule your free consultation now.

As I wrote this article, Jesus’ words in John 10:10 kept coming to me:

“The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”

We’re meant to have a full and abundant life.

Let’s make that a reality.

May God’s peace and grace be upon you.

Thank you,
Karen