Who Said It's Better To Be A Warrior In A Garden Than A Gardener In A War

I love this quote from Bruce Lee, saying " It's better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war." I believe we need to cultivate the garden of our life. Every time we express kindness, compassion, empathy, and love, we plant a flower in the garden of our own life, and someone else's. Whether that flower is an annual, only around for a season, or a perennial, blooming year after year, it still brings joy to anyone who sees it.

The thing about gardens, as anyone who has ever had one knows, is that they need to be nurtured and protected. They need the proper amounts of water, sunlight, and nutrients, as well as being protected from insects and animals that want to devour the plants, flowers, or vegetables. Our inner garden deserves the same care. There will always be those that have no boundaries, feeling entitled to harvest the fruits of our labors. Unwilling to do the work themselves, they can be parasites in our lives, piggybacking on the spiritual work we've done.

Being a spiritual warrior means that we hold others to the same standards we have for ourselves. No excuses. We choose to live from impeccability, and a ruthless examination of our subconscious motivations. We refuse to allow the mind or ego construct to run the show. That takes a level of commitment and vigilance that is ongoing. We weed our garden constantly, removing negative thoughts, beliefs, and toxic relationships that no longer grow beauty in our soul. Sometimes, the culture tries to make us feel guilty about that weeding process. Don't. Protect what you have planted, understanding that anyone can plant a garden, the same way that you did. Only you have the right to harvest the fruits of your spiritual work. Overgiving teaches nothing, other than reinforcing a person's entitlement issues and a negative belief that they may hold about themselves, regarding their own capabilities.

Love is the sunlight that washes over us, greening and growing who we are, and strengthening who we came here to be. Faith and trust are the waters that replenish us. Empathy is the soil that nourishes us. Compassion is what gives us the courage to move forward. The gentle breezes oxygenate our spirit, and invigorate us. We need to treat our garden within as the sacred place that it is. Those that would pollute it, intentionally or unintentionally, must not be allowed access. Having strong and healthy boundaries is the equivalent of posting " No trespassing " signs.

We can, by being a warrior in a garden, model for the world what a beautiful garden of love looks like, while at the same time encouraging others to grow their own gardens. Gardens of love, creativity, joy, and abundance. Anyone can become a gardener. Love is the easiest thing in the world to plant. A person just has to want to. The magical thing about love, is that once it's planted, it spreads. It's a perennial, rewarding you with blossoms for decades to come.

Being a warrior in a garden is a beautiful thing. The flower that most embodies that, for me, is the rose. It is a perennial, it has the most exquisite fragrance, it draws bees and hummingbirds to itself, sharing it's nectar, while at the same time having thorns to ward off predators that would eat it. The rose is a heart healer. Rose essential oil is so uplifting, calming, and soothing. Diffused, or applied topically on pericardium points or heart points can be very powerful during trying circumstances.

I choose to be a warrior in the garden of my life. It is my responsibility, and the sacred commitment I have made to myself, since walking away from an abusive marriage over 30 years ago, where I learned about pathological narcissism first hand. I learned about protecting and honoring my garden. I learned about reciprocity. I learned to expect to receive. I learned to be a warrior of light. Become that. Honor your garden. Honor what you have planted. Honor who you have become. Blessings, Judith