What a person perceives as being the easiest or the quickest way in any situation, seems to be what most folks gravitate towards. It’s a characteristic of human nature unless we overrule it when necessary with reason and conviction.
Even when a person finds out the “easiest” or “quickest” way is not in their best interest, many times the temptation remains “to do it anyway”, since they perceive it will solve the difficulty of the moment. And the age old “everyone else is doing it” is a popular “excuse” to do just about anything.
I guess what a person ends up doing boils down to what they do or don’t know and/or how important they think it is to stand for something.
Over my lifetime, I’ve found that standing for something is not the easiest way. It can be very difficult depending on the situation. But I made up my mind long years ago, to force myself to do what I deem is correct, even if it means going against main stream or in some cases – causing confrontation.
If you read TMG regularly, you know that I believe in walking in the direction you want to go in life. Every time you veer from the path, you’ll lose ground and it’s easier to lose track of your direction. If you face the obstacles on the path (even if you have to “rest” a bit before you do it), you’ll get stronger for the next time.
This applies to just about any phase of life I can think of. Even gardening.
What we want for our gardens and how we see the end result will determine what we do.
Everyday you’re given opportunities (in the form of choices) to show what you’re made of. Some of them are seemingly insignificant. Some of them are very significant. But make no mistake, no matter how small it might seem, every decision is taking you towards your goal or away from your goal.
Each decision either makes you stronger or weakens your resolve.
May all your choices be the best! Your garden (and your life) will follow along the path you choose.
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Related Posts:
Never Under Estimate the Power of a Little
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Hi Theresa,
I understand exactly what you are saying.
Can I offer the following?
There are many times when one will come across the dogmatic adviser,
“Bin doin’ it this way me whole life son, good enough for me should be for you!” type. Especially on fora there is this dogmatic approach by some.
Having come across many in my time it can throw a novice quite a “curve ball” I believe you say.
Having recently taken up bee keeping it has become apparent that this is a human condition and some “experts” just know their way is the only way.
Thankfully I have found the TMG equivalent of bee keeping where dogma is a distant memory.
Theresa, you are not alone in your approach to life, “we” just have to get out and find you all!
Best regards
Steve
Lubersac
France
Lots for me to improve on, and posts like this help a lot, Theresa.
Hi Theresa,
Excellent advice! Thank you for taking the time to post. I needed to hear from you! You are always giving your readers encouragement.
Good morning, Theresa… Last year, my husband, Stephen, and I were involved in a big house project, I had taken on a big volunteer project, and of course there were still those pesky jobs to tend :-). The garden loomed in front of us like a monster. Still, we persevered, knowing that it really was not an option to “not garden”.
I have been reading your words for the past few years, and they resonated with me… I just put one foot in front of the other and built the garden. We were much later getting it in than usual, but I listened to your words, that the garden would catch up in spite of us.
Stephen cut back to 25 tomato plants (!), but for the past few years he has used Earth Boxes, and it has made it possible for him to do his day job (50,000 miles a year in the car) and still come home in the evening and manage watering, fungus, sucker removal, building up the structure… and harvesting!
The rest of the gardens are mine, and I chose to keep yellow squash and zucchini out of the main garden to relieve pest stress (I planted one plant of each in containers up on the deck away from the garden and had not even one squash bug).
I’ve focussed on soil development over the past years (thank you), and what a difference it has made… the garden, with limited attention, came in beautifully. We closed out the garden by planting cover crops and covering some beds with chopped up leaves. Our asparagus crop has been astounding, we are enjoying delicious garden peas, and, again, the main garden is going in late and it will be fine.
I know I speak for all of your loyal readers when I tell you how much we appreciate the wisdom you’ve shared with us, and we wish for Bill and you continued resolve.
Beautiful post.
Continued good thoughts and prayers for both
you and Bill.
Theresa,
This is a good read as usual. You are right Sticking to the right thing or to the plan takes a strong person. I can tell you and Bill are of the strong type. Look to God and get better not bitter is my motto.
Steve
Classic TMG wisdom! Thank you, Theresa!
Hello Theresa!
I know this is a very old post; however, I would like you to know how much this writing, in combination with “Never Under Estimate the Power of a Little” has helped me get outside and get things done this fall.
Most days I’m grateful and a quick “thank you that I can still get out here and do this stuff” is a prayer I’ll say several times as I’m working (or sitting on my bench taking a break!). But at 67 years old I still can get discouraged by the fact that I get tired easier and can no longer work as hard or as long as I used to in my 30’s and 40’s, or even 50’s.
Sometimes, it can be hard to motivate myself to get my work clothes on and get busy if I’m a bit tired from yesterday, or haven’t slept as much as I’d have liked and dozens of excuses are running themselves though my brain pan.
And this is exactly when I come here and read this post and the link to the other one. Instead of being discouraged that I can’t stay out working all day long because I’m no longer a young man, I suit up, show up and even if I only work for 45 minutes or an hour, something concrete gets accomplished that is building a better garden for my future and I feel good about myself for pushing thru the inertia. Had I given in to my procrastination and excuses, I would go to bed feeling bad for not getting something done, which would only serve to feed the problem and divert me from my purpose.
And so thank you, very much and sincerely for these writings.
God bless and take care,
Harold
Harold, thank you for taking time to write your feelings.
I think most of us can relate to everything you said.
And yes, the post may be older, but the problem it addresses is as old as humans on this earth. And the principles it offers are timeless.
When we finally “push through” we feel so accomplished and so much better about ourselves. And that in itself allows us to do more and gives us motivation.
Suiting up and showing up is most of the battle!
The decisions we make each day help build our future. I have to remind myself of that on a daily basis.
So glad these posts have helped you.
Will be thinking of you as I push myself to get busy after not sleeping well or hearing the wind blow and thinking it’s too cold to go out.
Thanks Harold!
Theresa