Fall Cleaning: Relationship pruning is important.

Who, what, when, where, and how. These are valuable questions, and invaluable when paired with answers. The issue is that in order to get the answers, you have to risk asking the questions. 

This is where this week’s topic comes into play. We have certain times of the year that prompt a cleanup. Fall is one of those. We work on cleaning up from the fun of summer, getting things ready for the winter, and looking at the situations around that need a little TLC. For example, we trim trees, clean the yard, do that careful final mow job. We might even edge the sidewalks to make it easier to shovel snow, or clean out those gutters to allow the snow to melt!

It is amazing how we can make our lives so much easier. However, it always requires the commitment of time and effort upfront. It also requires getting messy, and pressing toward a goal even when things are difficult.

Relationships are no different. We must get down in the trenches, talking about things others won’t. We have to address the uncomfortable topics others avoid, while also giving and receiving grace, and ultimately, staying committed to relationships that others may just walk away from. Families see this all the time. Looking at fallout from a blow-up or break up. The airing of toxic opinions. Genuinely just forgetting that people are people. All of these are places that we can shine! Just simply being people who are not afraid of the work required for relationships.

This is that relational pruning we talk about in this week’s WOW video. Like our yearly fall cleanup, as the seasons change we have to prepare for new. As the holidays are quickly approaching, I want to challenge myself, and all of you, to have a hard conversation! Reach out to your loved one that you have a strained relationship with. Address the issue head-on. Go into the conversation in the same way we discussed in last week’s blog and video! Please read it and do what it says! Instead of just looking at the blog’s guidance as a broad topic of disagreement, look at this from a specific perspective. Look at the problem as the offense that is between you and your loved one.

If that talk goes poorly, REACH OUT FOR HELP!

Take those steps, and carry them out, and then comment on how it went on our video! If you hit a roadblock, our team is here for you! Comment and I will comment back! Thanks all and be blessed!! Let’s get these relationships cleaned up! #nomoreawkwardholidays