Anyone with a garden knows that it takes no time at all for weeds to take hold, if not take over. We know that regular weeding keeps our garden as we want it, and is much easier than when those weeds are well-established.

So how about taking the same attitude to our lives? We grow weeds in our behaviours and they become habits. We grow weeds in our thinking, and they become negativity of one sort or another.

So how do we do this sort of weeding? By once a month stopping and reviewing our behaviours, our thinking patterns.

Have I started being more and more judgemental of others? Have I stopped listening to my partner? Have I started drinking more, or eating fast food  and sweet things more often?

And it’s not enough to notice, because if we are to weed them out, we need to have something good to replace them with, otherwise they will just come straight back. So we need to ask ourselves: ‘What will I put in its place?’

Similarly with our thinking. Am I taking on other people’s worries and anxieties? Am I being adversely affected by all the bad news I hear? Am I being influenced to see myself as not good enough? So instead, what will I do to help myself think about things more constructively?

Some weeds you find may be quite persistent, so you may need to be gradual in your approach to clearing them. That’s okay. It’s not a failure if they reappear. You can even get rid of bindweed in your garden if you persist!

And weeding your life, just as with your garden, will bring more joy and beauty into your life – it’s worth a little bit of time once a month.