Do You Need a Different Pot? by Shirley Voorhees, align90

25 Jan Do You Need a Different Pot? by Shirley Voorhees, align90

I am no horticulturist, but I know that when a plant is left to grow in the same space for an extended length of time, it can become root-bound and begin to suffocate. The roots of that plant have completely filled the pot in which it is planted and further growth is not possible. That is unless the limiting pot is broken away, the roots are freed, the unhealthy ones are removed, and the plant is transplanted into a different pot where it receives fresh nutrients and there is more room to grow.

The same thing can happen to us as well. We can find ourselves in a place where we are no longer growing and not really know how we got there. Becoming root-bound does not happen overnight; it is something that slowly takes place with time and neglect. It happens as we allow ourselves to live in an anesthetized state where we are simply existing from day to day. Or, it happens when we have reached our potential in our current situation, yet continue to remain there. In either case, we will not grow if we are afraid to be transplanted.

The pot you are planted in, whether a job, a relationship, or some other set of circumstances, is formed by your beliefs what you believe about your past, your present, your future, your relationships. We are shaped by what we believe about each of those things and what we believe is based on the kind of input that we receive from those who have been and are now significant in our lives, our environment, etc.

Some of us are in relationships that were once vibrant and exciting, but are now dull and lack-luster due to neglect. They haven’t been given the attention they need in order to survive and thrive. There is no time like the present to prune away the dead or dying leaves of that relationship and cultivate new growth.

Some may be in a dead-end job that you dread going to each day. You go through the motions and do only what is necessary to collect a paycheck, but there is nothing exciting about it, nor do you feel there is a purpose other than putting food on the table and paying the bills. It is possible to exist in that kind of soil for years and become root-bound by fear to step out into something new and different.

Re-potting plants is a messy and dirty job and the process can throw a plant into a state of shock as old roots are cut away, healthy roots are pried apart, and they are put into a new environment. For a while, those plants may look as though they are dying, but given time and attention, they begin to grow and take on a look of health.

Becoming alive with energy, excited to face each day, and living with purpose can sometimes be messy for us in the beginning, too. We must be willing to take a look at what we believe about the situation we find ourselves in, challenge those beliefs and let go of the ones that limit us and keep us root-bound.

It may mean counseling for a marriage that has gone stale. It could mean quitting the job you currently hold in order to go back to school to gain the skills you need to do what you really want to do. It may mean stepping into a new area of responsibility that seems scary right now. I don’t know what it will mean for you. But, I do know this if you are pot-bound, you will eventually die! Everything that is not growing is dying. It is just that simple. And, simple though it may be, it is not easy.

Life is just too short not to live it with energy, excitement and purpose! Do you need a new pot? No one is responsible for your happiness or growth except you. Look at your life to see if you might be root-bound. If so, take the responsibility and do what is necessary to free your roots, cutting away those things that are dead and/or dying, and give yourself room to grow. Flourish! Thrive! Live life to the fullest!

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