A Season for Pruning

Autumn is the time of year that reminds us that growth isn't the whole story. Some seasons we've grown really fast or come really far and that means we might bring along some parts of ourselves or ideas about things that we just don't need to carry around any more.

As someone who enjoys gardening I trust the pruning process as I cut back the flowers and shrubs that had so generously bloomed and grown over the summer. I don't question that it isn't a necessary stage. I know that I give them the space, structure, and light to do it again come spring. Nature is such a great teacher and I guess one of the greatest gifts of ageing is that you start to see patterns repeating and are able to spot them in other places too.

I've had some significant moves in my life--Canada-USA-UK. I came to love that each time presented me with an opportunity to leave behind some bits of myself that I wasn't interested in taking forward to my next chapter. I really came to love that process and started to look for more frequent--and less dramatic!--ways to practise it.

A Little Book of Permission is an exercise in pruning. By reminding us about what we don't have to do, we get to later choose where we want to go and grow.