Yesterday my husband and I went to cut wood. We found a huge grove of standing dead trees we could take. As we worked, I thought about how many people cut their own wood and how long the forest can sustain the loss of trees.

But my husband pointed out that we are contributing to the ecosystem by taking out the dead wood. We're making way for new growth and limiting the spread of forest fires since the dead trees burn faster.

Applying this to my own life, I considered all the dead wood I carry around: grudges, dislike, opinions, beliefs, prejudices, biases. If I take the time to clean out my forest, I can make way for renewal and growth.

And isn't that what life is all about?