Have you ever had a weed problem in your garden?
If so, you have probably tried many different ways of getting rid of them. One way is to just take the lawn mower or a weed whacker and cut them down to size. The problem is that while it makes them look better for awhile, before long they are back stronger than ever! A much better solution, but one which takes much longer, is to take them out by the root. Once done, the same weed won’t come back though in time, others most likely will.
Problems are very much the same. If we just gloss over a problem and don’t really get it from the root, it is likely to come back again to haunt us. Similar to taking weeds out from the root in our garden, it is likely to take much more time and energy to get to the source of our problem and extirpate it from there, but once done, at least it won’t come back.
Let’s look at an example:
Have you ever had too much month at the end of the money?
It happens to the best of us at some time or another. We often look look to friends or family to help us out of a tough situation, even selling things to cover the shortage until we get more money again. The problem is that unless we get to the bottom of the problem, it is likely to keep happening. The solution tends to be fairly simple but far from easy. We need only increase our income or decrease our expenses, either will work. Once this is done, the problem goes away, at least for the time being.
In our garden we can use many methods to get rid of weeds, some of them quick and easy, others more difficult and involved. The same thing happens with problems. We can zap them with a quick dose of motivation, which tends to make us feel good for a short period of time, but unless we truly solve the problem, it can and will come back.
Have you ever noticed how the more weeds you have, the more seem to sprout up? The same tends to happen with problems.
Unless the ground is properly prepared, taking the weeds out one by one can be quite a chore. If it hasn’t rained in a long time or we haven’t soaked the area thoroughly, it will be difficult to get the entire weed out. Instead, it’s likely to break off, leaving the root embedded in the soil to keep growing. Getting rid of our problems once and for all is a very similar process. To do so, we must first properly prepare our minds and/or bodies to do so. If the problem involves talking to someone or doing something, it generally takes preparation to get the desired result.
Rather than simply glossing over problems and then hoping that they go away, we can take the time and energy necessary to get to the bottom of them and then take them out by the root so they don’t come back.
∞ Rob McBride ∞
15 Aug 2021
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