Kimberly Frey Consulting

Albert Einstein once said, “Look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better.” This past weekend, I did just that. I spent time with the church parking lot clean-up committee pulling out weeds and the overgrown areas of the lot. I started volunteering with this group as a way to help my church community, but I have quickly grown to love helping because it gives me a chance to do one of my favorite things – pulling weeds.

Now I realize you are probably thinking that pulling weeds is an odd thing to say you love, so allow me to explain.

When I was a teenager in Florida, my father owned a landscaping and lawn maintenance company for several years. While he usually had one employee who worked with him, my step-mother, step-brothers, and I were often part of his crew. Even though I was the oldest of the children, I was not allowed to operate any of the lawnmowers or weed eaters because I was a girl. I’m not making that up – that was seriously the reason my father gave me when I would ask. The only piece of equipment I was allowed to use was the blower, because it was not considered to be dangerous. Which meant that my role when we were out on jobs together was to pull the weeds and then use the blower to clean up the mess my father and step-brothers made with the lawnmowers and weed eaters. Insert eye-roll here.

At first, pulling weeds felt like a punishment, but over time it became my sanctuary. A quiet rebellion. A space to dream. I would use this time to imagine my future, a better life, what I would do when I grew up, and even contemplate my thoughts and pray. Pulling weeds became a respite from the chaos of my life. It gave me peace, and once I had cleared a whole area, a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

For many people though, pulling weeds can seem like a tedious and unrewarding task. It’s hard work with delayed gratification because it takes time to do it right.

Just like weeds in a garden, the ones in our mind can choke out our creativity and clarity. They can hinder our mindset growth and personal development. It takes time to pull them out one by one so that we can make space for growth and step into our Next.

Weeds can show up in our lives in many ways:

• Internalized expectations that don’t match your wiring
• Overcomittment that drains your creative energy
• Systems that weren’t built with you or how your brain functions best in mind
• Masking your true self to avoid stigma and “fit in”

Weeds are subtle. They creep in slowly, and sometimes we are unaware of their presence until they seem to have overtaken an entire space.

Clarity is often just as subtle. While we occasionally do have those major “aha” moments that can be life-changing, it is much more common for clarity to arrive the same way that a garden is cleared: by pulling out one tangled thought, one outdated pattern, one misguided expectation at a time.

If you are a neurodivergent creative, a deep feeler, or an out-of-the-box thinker, clarity can sometimes be even harder to find because it’s wrapped up in the norms and social constructs of a world that often doesn’t understand or appreciate your uniqueness.

This week I invite you to start pulling out the weeds of your mind that are choking out your clarity by spending some time in nature. I’m not saying you have to go pull weeds, but I do recommend trying it, as it can be very soothing. You could also go for a nature walk, sit outside by the lake or in the shade of a tree, spend time in a garden, or find some other way to enjoy the great outdoors. You’ll be amazed at how much lighter you can feel and how much clarity you can find.

Then share your experience: Where did you go? What did you notice? What weed did you pull? Drop a comment below or DM me so I can feature your story in my weekly email. Let’s build a garden of clarity and feed our souls together.

Because You Were Meant to Bloom (You Can Do It!).

And I Can Help.