Bloody thistles

Garden enthusiasts will tell you fierce weeds would take over if they could.  Some people spray poison to try to keep them at bay.  Other people put on the leather gloves and try to remove them the traditional way---by the roots!  If you've ever tried to remove wild Australian thistles this way, you'd discover gloves don't prevent you from getting splinters or thorns in your fingers.  Come what may, being in the great outdoors contributes to an unmistakable sparkle in your eye.

Similarly, we all go through periods in our lives which relate to grief.  The pain may puncture our hearts like garden thorns puncture our skin.  What's important is to mourn losses completely.  Allow yourself to feel them. Learn to let go of negative energy and not hold onto memories too tightly.  Transitions are natural. You end one chapter and begin another.  It's all part of clearing out your mind, finding sources of balance in life and tending to your backyard garden.  Temporary suffering need not make you bitter and disillusioned.  Instead, you can choose to learn and grow.

Consider the determined sapling that grows up throw a hole in the fence.  This tree refuses to be held back by surrounding thistles which bloody my fingers as I remove them.  What inner forces make it possible for that sapling to learn from and move forward after suffering the thistle invasion?  How can you learn from this resilent sapling instead of choosing to focus on thorns in your sides anda t your feet?

Choose to move forward with determination and resilience.  Prickles come in many forms. They can appear as difficult people, your own stubborness, or unwillingness to change a point of view.  Negativism and criticism might also jab you from outside or inside yourself.  The thorns in your life are actually friendly reminders. Praise yourself and express gratitude for the thorns which enable you to learn about more about yourself. They certainly get your attention. That's progress!