Have You Been Watering a Dead Plant?

Yesterday, one of my aunts shared this quote on her Facebook.

“When you stop contacting someone first, you will realize how many dead plants you have been watering.” (The quote she shared was in Urdu, I have done a rough translation and don’t have the source)

And the “Dead Plants” part stuck in my head. The quote might be about “dead” relationships we try to keep alive in vain, but it can be a metaphor for many things, a career, a habit, a hobby, etc. It had me thinking. How many dead plants are there in my garden and how can I bring them to life or should I throw them out to make room for the live ones?

What about you? Have you ever found yourself in a rut, doing something again and again without any sense of purpose or fulfillment? Maybe there is more to life than what we are currently feeling. Perhaps, we have been watering dead plants, hoping they will miraculously come back to life. But will they? Isn’t it time to give up and find something that is joyful? And pursue it with courage and confidence.

Dead plants are anything that is no longer serving you or making you happy. They are things that you keep doing out of habit, obligation, fear, or guilt, but they don’t bring you the joy of fulfillment. They are things that hold you back from living your best life.

If the answer is yes, then let go of unhealthy situations that are draining your life force and preventing you from finding your passion and purpose in life. Let’s discover what makes you happy and stick with that. Because life is too short and precious to waste on things that don’t matter or don’t make you happy.

Toxic relationships: people who don’t respect you, support you, or appreciate you. People who drain your energy, manipulate you or abuse you. People who don’t share your value, goals, or vision.

Unfulfilling jobs: work that doesn’t match your skills, interests, or passions. Work that doesn’t challenge you, inspire you, or reward you. Work that doesn’t align with your purpose or mission.

Bad Habits: behaviors that harm your health, well-being, or happiness. Behaviors that waste your time, money, or resources. Behaviors that prevent you from growing, learning, or improving.

Limiting beliefs: thoughts that undermine your confidence, potential, or worth. Thoughts that create fear, doubt, or insecurity. Thoughts that stop you from taking action, taking risks, or taking opportunities.

Letting go of dead plants is not an exact science and it might be hard. It can involve facing your fears, confronting your emotions, and making tough decisions. It can also involve losing some people, things, or situations that you are attached to. But it is necessary if you want to create space for new and better things in your life.

Here are some steps and strategies to help you let go of these dead plants:

Identify them: the first step is to recognize what are the dead plants in your life. You can do this by asking yourself some questions such as: What am I doing that doesn’t make me happy? What am I doing that doesn’t serve me or my goals? What am I doing that I don’t enjoy or value? What am I doing that I would rather not do?

Evaluate them: the next step is to evaluate the impact of these dead plants on your life. Consider how they affect your health, well-being, or happiness. Think about how these dead plants affect your relationships, career, or finances. And more importantly, ask yourself how they affect your growth, learning, or improvement.

Decide to let them go: the final step is to let them go. Consider the benefits and how letting go of the dead plants will improve your life. Get rid of all you believe that is holding you back. But also consider the risks and be ready to face them. Keep your focus on the opportunities because you don’t want to lose your motivation.

Set boundaries: establish clear limits on what you will and won’t accept from others. Say no to requests and demands that don’t serve you or your goals. Communicate your needs and expectations clearly and respectfully.

Quit what you must: leave the job that doesn’t fulfill you. End the relationship that doesn’t respect you or value you. Change the habits that harm you or hinder you. It’s better to close the chapter in your life that is no longer relevant or meaningful. Complete and let go of the project that is no longer rewarding or interesting. Finish a task that is no longer necessary.

Change what you can: modifying something in your life that’s not working is also something you may consider. Especially if you feel that quitting isn’t the right choice.

Lastly, remember as important as it is to get rid of dead plants, it’s equally important to water the living ones. That’s why we should set goals, learn, grow, and network. When you’re making a real impact, maybe not in the world, but in your life and for people around you, then comes satisfaction, and a sense of achievement that will surely lead to contentment.

And contentment has always been my ultimate goal in life. What’s yours?

Originally published at https://fizzayounis.substack.com.