A recent situation got me to thinking about what we say and why we say it. When people ask us for information, or even when they don’t and we give our input anyway, is our words helping them or hurting them?

I have posted before on the importance of words and that we should be careful about what we say, but in regards to certain things like permaculture, it’s nice to have other people’s opinions, or to hear about what problems they had as it will help us to make better decisions for the land we intent to change.

A few things I have to ask myself during the times I am called to share information is this, is my intent behind what I say pure? Am I saying these things to help this person, or to discourage them from trying this particular way or method? And if I am trying to discourage them, why am I trying to discourage them? Am I trying to discourage them to change them in some way?

Everyone in life has certain things they enjoy which causes them stress, work, and time, a prime example is kids. Kids will cause you a lot of stress, work and it will take years to get them out on their own and to help them become productive adults, but does that mean we shouldn’t have them? Of course not. Some find being parents a noble endeavor and purpose in life. But why would something so hard be so noble? Because only in hard situations do we learn and grow as human beings, only in hard times are we able to strengthen certain qualities like love and patience, and only during these times will we find our true will and desire.

Just because a certain method or type of plant may seem hard or too much work for you does not mean that it will be for someone else. I am reminded of the old saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, remember that we are all unique and enjoy different things.

Next time you share information think about your intent behind it, are you giving them information to share your experience, or are you trying to discourage them from trying?

  I love that people share their experiences with me about this type of tree, and even though at one point I thought about giving up from all the negative words about it, I decided that I love it too much to let anyone destroy my dream of planting it in my life. I don’t mind the extra work that many see when they look at this tree, or the amount of bugs, or even that it is what many call “aggressive” in seeking out water. The only thing I see when I look at this tree is beauty and love.

I also have to add that not everyone had something negative to say about this type of tree, many people saw the same beauty I do.

This whole situation has been a great lesson for me, one that I will remember forever.