The plant in question, there on the table.

I had a tender moment with a houseplant yesterday.

That’s not completely honest.

It is actually an office plant.

More specifically, it’s a plant I have kept in my private practice for the past two years.

This plant got me thinking about stuff.

Let me tell you how it all happened.

Plant wisdom

You know how they say that talking to plants help them grow?  I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it’s a nice sentiment.

And if it is true, this plant was full of words.

It sat in my office and absorbed every story my clients ever shared.

When I first brought this plant to my office, it was bushy and full.

But over time, it started sending out long, leafy runners.

These poured over the side of the table it sat on and down to the floor, where it grew in a tangle.

Its tails grew so long, that I eventually coiled them in spirals on the floor.

And it kept growing.

It was a beautiful sight that greeted my clients as they entered the office each week.

Rooting somewhere new

Before trimming

When I left my old office in West Lake in January, I took great care tucking these great leafy tendrils into a cardboard box.

And I brought it home with me, waiting for my new office to be prepared.

Seeing it in a new setting, I sized up my green companion.

It needed a trim.

Yesterday, I fetched a pair of scissors and went to work, removing damaged leaves and shortening some of its tails.

So, what does this have to do with you?

Does your life need a trim?

This particular kind of plant is famous for getting leggy.

It loves sending out long tendrils in search of sun and food.

And it roots itself along the way, supporting the main plant as it grows.

We do this in our own lives, too.

We send out runners into all kinds of things—books, projects, outings, relationships, careers– seeking sun.

Seeking nourishment.

And sometimes we plant in fertile ground, and sometimes we struggle along, thirsty and weak, trying to find purchase in hard ground.

So think about your life and your runners.  Where are you putting your time?  Are you getting enough sun?  Are there some relationships or projects that are dead ends?  Do you need to send out more runners?

Does your life need a trim?

Redeploying goodness

The beauty of this plant is that when you trim it, the clippings don’t die.

They can be replanted to propagate an entirely new plant.

So, when’s the last time you looked at your runners?

Are they headed in fruitful directions?

Is there some straggler hanging on for dear life that you can put into gentler ground?

Consider giving your life a trim.

You never know what new, interesting things can spring up when you reinvest your resources in better soil.