One giant pile of brush
One tiny fire pit
One million steps across the patio to feed the fire
It was quite a process. After taking down the two dead ash trees in my backyard, I was left with a pile of brush to burn that covered nearly half of my concrete patio.
It took over six weeks to burn all that brush. And lots of trips back and forth from the pile to the tiny fire pit.
Finally, one day I thought maybe I needed a better system. A more efficient process to take care of the brush and branches that needed to be burned.
I decided I needed a bigger, better fire pit.
So... a few bricks from Home Depot and one wonderful boyfriend who did all the hard work, and we made it happen.
Burning branches and brush is now much easier and it looks nicer too!
It made me think about the famous quote from Maya Angelou, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
This is true in all aspects of life.
Every day there are opportunities around us to learn and adapt.
Our eyes and hearts need to be open to them though.
It can be hard to admit that we need to change or adjust our viewpoint. Humans are hard-wired with pride and ego that make that difficult.
I'm not just talking about tangible changes, like knowing when you need to build a bigger fire pit.
I'm also talking about intangible changes, like knowing when you need to adjust the words or tone you use with people when the communication just isn't working.
Or knowing when you need to sever ties with someone who is negatively impacting your life.
Or even knowing when you need to humble yourself and apologize.
It's like that giant pile of brush.
We all have one.
Piles of stuff from our past, built up over time and just sitting there, taking up way too much space in our hearts and our heads.
It needs to be worked through and dealt with. Thrown in the "fire" so it can be destroyed and we can move on.
If you start working your way through it a little at a time, you can adapt and change gradually.
Some days, you may make a really big dent in your pile. Other days, the difference isn't noticeable.
But after time, after you've chipped away at it and learned from it so you can do better, you'll see the progress.
The patio floor will start to become visible.
And eventually, that pile will be gone.
Making room to build a bigger, better fire pit.
There will always be a pile to burn, no matter how often you feed the fire. Life is never that easy or simple.
But if you can keep the pile manageable, it doesn't have to be overwhelming.
Embrace the process.
Make those trips from the brush pile to the fire pit.
Learn and adapt as you go.
Find ways to do better in your life.
And, most importantly, let go of the things in your pile that are out of your control. Those are the ones to throw in the fire first.
It's not easy. But it's necessary.
And it's so worth it.
Comments