When my husband and I bought our home, it came with a putting green built into the yard. We weren’t interested in using or keeping the putting green, so we took it out of the yard and hoped that the soil underneath it would eventually go back to nature and grow wild. Four years later, almost no plants had taken root in the area; it was clear the soil needed some help to get healthy. We got to work researching how to encourage soil development, and decided to take off the top inch or two of dirt, mix compost into the ground underneath, and then plant sunflowers, oats, and peas throughout the area to encourage soil health.
It was so much more work to dig, rake, and mix than I had expected, and doing so took several weekends of dedicated attention. Finally, we planted seeds throughout the ground, just in time for rain. I’m not sure if the seeds will take root or if the plants will truly help the soil underneath it, but I have hope that they will.
Sometimes I get discouraged and feel like doing nothing. That tasks are hopeless and not worth the effort. But by doing work hard and planting seeds change may happen. Trying opens up a world of possibilities. Ultimately, doing nothing is the only action that is sure to amount to nothing.