I Learned These Lessons While Pulling Weeds

My daughter's Taekwondo academy was clearing out some land--pulling weeds, chopping trees, etc.--to create a xeriscaped area. The Master asked for volunteers to help, and my six-year-old daughter asked me to join in the weed-pulling festivities (as if she was going whether I came or not). Naturally, I had to dig deep (no pun intended) to find the enthusiasm the day of.

Still, I learned a couple of life lessons while sweating profusely under the baking-hot sun. Sophie and I pulled two kinds of weeds. The first kind was a clearly recognizable weed. We grabbed the stalk and pulled it out, roots and all. It was easy, and I thought, "We'll get done in no time--before the pizza arrives!"

Alas, the pizza was cold by the time I finished. Because on the other side of the academy, there were weeds that were, well...only the devil himself could have planted them. Indeed, when I saw them, they deceived me. They had pretty purple buds, they smelled like alfalfa, they looked like a plant you would want in your garden. I knew they had to come out, though.

I pulled, the stalks broke. The roots stayed stubbornly in the ground. I grabbed the shovel. I dug. And I dug. And I dug. I'm not sure if I pulled any of the roots out, and I know the deceptively tough weeds have destined themselves to live again.

Here are two applications.

One--our characters need contrasting qualities that are deceptively stubborn and deceptively transparent. When searching for article ideas, we need to solve problems and symptons. All folks have habits they can easily overcome; at the same time, folks have deeply buried habits that require the drastic or tragic to overcome.

Second--as we struggle to write. Or strive to be a perfect father or mother. Or employee. Or boss. Or in any area of life, laboriously dig at the habits that hold us back. When the stalks break, dig again, until we've treated the root of the problem, rather than just the symptoms. Here's an example. I don't have time to write! Maybe not, or maybe you are just checking your email too often. Cut back on the email. See how many more minutes of daylight you have?

Whether you're a best-selling author or struggling writer, we all can strive to make a positive impact in the world. You can't change the world until you change yourself.