Rooting out the problem!

I tripped over the old hibiscus stump for a final time, the eyesore been dead for a while and it was time to dig it out! You could say it it was definitely no longer serving us in that corner of the garden.

I went to work on removing it, the surface roots were pretty easy to break away. Being an Alcohol Freedom Coach I'm often thinking about parallels between my alcohol free journey and whatever I'm currently doing.

I thought back to how we need to root out (pun intended!) those old beliefs around alcohol that no longer serve us.

The surface roots being shallow and relatively easy to remove, reminded me of the beliefs we have around the substance and society. Something like:

Alcohol relaxes me or helps me have a good time.

With beliefs relating to society, it's a lot about conforming:

I drink to fit in with everyone else or people who don't drink are boring.

The deeper tap roots are like beliefs relating to self, they run deep, unseen until you try to pull up the stump and often hard to shift. They sound like:

I need alcohol make me a likable person to be around, I need alcohol to function normally. or I need alcohol to boost my self worth.

They're the tougher ones and can take some work to expose and remove. Sometimes we need more than one tool to get them out.

Once the root ball was entirely out of the ground I was left with a big hole. My next job is to fill the hole with some fresh soil mixed with compost to replace lost nutrients. Then plant a new shrub. I'm thinking of a frangipani for its fragrant flowers and beautiful show in the summer.

Just like the void that is left when we remove alcohol in our lives, we need to replenish and renourish ourselves. Planting something new in our lives to fill it.

Developing new interests, trying new things, growing new relationships, reconnecting with an old hobby or finding new ones.

Functioning in a world where all our senses are engaged and alive...

It's so worth the effort! ❤️