MARCH: Cutting Back
“People are always trying to add more stuff to life.”
Jerry Sienfeld
Our culture celebrates adding more stuff to life! But when is enough - enough? And when is less a healthier choice than more? An online search of ‘Reasons for Cutting Back’ begins with references to the natural world, such as plant life. Why do we cut back our plants? Best practices in botany suggests 6 reasons:
To maintain health and aesthetics.
To control growth.
To encourage flower and fruit production.
To create special forms.
To remove dead, diseased, or broken parts of plants.
To protect people and property.
In this conversation, play with this metaphor of pruning plants in relation to your own life. For example:
What is a good balance between indulging and cutting back on health and beauty? Think in terms of purchases or practices.
What are your current interests in growing or flowering?
Bonsai is the art of hands-on attention to create special and unusual forms. What part of your life needs hands-on attention?
Closets and cabinets can get overgrown. Do you have a system for purging closets and cabinets, or does the mood strike you and you dive in? Have you ever regretted something you gave or threw away?
What relationship activities or patterns could you reduce to have simpler, more pure moments with loved ones?
Can you think of other metaphorical questions related to the 6 reasons?
Takeaways.