Preparing for the harvest - Part 4 - Preserve your harvest

Tending the garden of the heart - Day 98

Last year, a friend taught us how to use a canner to preserve our apple sauce. Armed with this knowledge, we made apple jam and apple butter and preserved them in jars for the winter. These tasted so good on bread that once a jar was opened the jam was gone in a flash.

This year we plan on extending the preserves into tomatoes and cucumbers.

That's all good for fruit and vegetables, but how, then, do you preserve your harvest in other areas of your life?

1) Finances

You begin by saving a portion of your money every month. When you get an increase, you can save more. But begin where you are even if it's $5.00. Start small and grow from there. Begin with what you know you will stick with. Soon enough you'd want to increase it. A time may come in your life, after your harvest, when you feel like 'opening that jar of jam' and enjoy the taste. You'd be glad you did save that money. Other situations may arise that may need financial attention and what you've put aside can pull you out of a jam.

2) Relationships

When you nurture and tend to your personal relationships, whether family or friends, in the winter months of your life they are ones to stand by your side and support you until you're able to get back on your feet again. When all is going well in your life never forget your family and friends. This is what I'd call your family and friend harvest time. It's in the cherishing and preserving of a loving relationship with them that will see you through whatever situation you're going through. Whatever adverse conditions you may face you'll never be left wanting.

3) Goal achievement

At the point of success in your goal achievement, write down the lessons learned to preserve these life-changing memories. Review them often and commit them to heart. For during the time of your next goal you will pull up on these experiences that will sustain you and move you through the process to the finish line.

Use these memories to teach and share with others to encourage them to press through in pursuit of their dreams.

The most important thing to remember in preservation as you prepare for the harvest is that you preserve your life. After you have gone through your journey, you have become the light to light the path for others to follow. You can now say in the winter of their life journey, I have been where you are, I know what you're going through and I know you will be okay. Here is my hand; I'll help you get there. I'll be a shoulder to support you until your harvest comes in.

Weeding the garden of your social life

Tending the garden of the heart - Day 93

Whether it's a vegetable, fruit or flower garden, a gardener is very particular about what he allows to grow in his garden of choice. Therefore, he or she keeps a constant watch over the garden and regularly weeds it for unwanted 'social' interaction.

Because the people we hang out with on a regular basis tend to influence the way we think and ultimately behave, it is therefore imperative that we choose our friends with care. Our friends should lift us to a higher level than where we are and encourage us to be the best we can be. If you find that the friends you're hanging out with are not leading you in a way that enhances your life it's time to think about weeding the garden of your social life.

Consider the following 4 tips to weeding the garden of your social life:

1) Know where you're going

When you know where you're going in life you drive in the direction to your destination. You'd probably think it crazy if someone got into their car and just started driving and had no destination in mind. "Where are we headed?" you ask, "I don't know," they reply. You might probably want to jump out of the car at the first stop sign.

Similarly, if you don't know what direction your life is headed, how could you make plans to go there and more so how could you then harbour relationships that move you in the direction you're going?

2) Place people in their rightful place

It is important to see everyone you meet through the eyes of love and place them in their rightful place. Some are there to go with you to the next level to reaching to your destination while some are put in your path to receive something from you. The people you meet who are there to receive from you may not necessarily be the ones to be regular friends.

I would use Jesus as an example here. Jesus choose 12 disciples - friends he would regularly communicate with - he would regularly hang out with these guys and they'd go practically everywhere together. Then there were all the other people he would come in contact with. He loved them all but they were not his regular companions.

3) Choose your friends with care

After you know where you're going and you're consciously aware of the type of friends you desire, you can now choose your friends with extra care. Jesus handpicked his 12 disciples - those with whom he would impart his knowledge and wisdom and with whom he shared a deeper spiritual bond, his deepest secrets and his life.

4) Choose your social events with care

Some events, like some weeds, may not be in themselves bad but they may be misplaced meaning that they may not serve your purpose. If you decided to grow a vegetable garden, dandelions have no business in your vege garden. Certain social events may suck the life out of you instead of enhancing and uplifting you. Have you ever gone to an event and you left feeling more drained than when you arrived? Then perhaps this is not the place for you at this point in your life.

Choose social events that add to and draw you closer to your destiny.

Your social life can be a power house for your growth and ultimately your fruit bearing success if nurtured with care.

Weeding the garden of your career

Tending the garden of the heart - Day 92

Every seed contains in it the life it was meant to lead - cucumber seeds sown in soil to grow, blossom and bear cucumbers. Plants and trees follow their path, naturally. However, weeds can hinder the process if neglected and inhibit nutrients going to the fruit.

At times we find ourselves in careers that do not reflect who we are and our innate passion. This may be because we've considered the current career for only the monetary gain one gets from it and not from one's inner passion.

If you find yourself despising your job, your career, then, it is time to consider doing some weeding to getting into the place you were meant to be. Or if you find that your career is not fulfilling your inner passion and life purpose then you need to re-examine your position and move in the direction of beginning to make changes.

How do you weed out the garden of your career?

1) Decision

Knowing what you feel joy in doing or what you feel passionate about is the first step before you can make a decision to do what you love to do. Once you know that then you can move to the next step. What do you love to do?

2) Look for ways to get into the area of your passion.

If you are in a career you love generally but you are in one section that you despise, look for ways to get into the area of your passion.

For example, in the insurance industry, which was my previous field, there are many facets to work in, you could either be an agent or work in claims as an adjuster and even as an adjuster you could work as an auto adjuster, property adjuster, liability adjuster or all of these and more. So if you are currently an auto adjuster and hate it, but prefer being a proper adjuster, then, you look for opportunities to go in that direction.

Staying in a position that you hate is not healthy for your inner being and therefore you are not living your inner passion and fulfilling your destiny.

3) Develop the skills

If you feel that you lack the skills in what you love to do, stay where you are for now, if you can, and look for opportunities to develop the skills necessary for your area of passion. The internet is packed with information you can read on 'how to's'. You can go to your local library and get information, talk with other people in the field or even take local, online or correspondence courses.

If you'd like to start a business in your desired field but lack the confidence to do so, look for the opportunity to work with someone who is already in the field.

If you are open and willing to get out of your 'comfort zone' and take the risk of living your passion, doors will open for you to do what you desire to do one step at a time.

When you set your mind and intention to do what is natural for you and weed out the other things that are occupying your time, you'll find that you'll feel a sense of accomplish, joy and freedom in being you.

Take the steps necessary to begin weeding the garden of your career now.