I listened to a recent interview with author, psychiatrist, and ADHD expert Dr. Ned Hallowell.
In this interview, he talked about the concept of lilies and leeches.
Leeches are the things in your life that waste your time and attention.
In contrast, the lilies are the things you engage with that make you feel fulfilled and happy to be alive.
He concludes that:
“In order to have time for your lilies, you have to get rid of your leeches.”
– Dr. Ned Hallowell
The leeches and lilies can take many forms including projects at work, people, hobbies, and social media.
He suggests that you think about each of these areas and start to prune the leeches to leave more space for the lilies to flourish.
In his experience, there are four primary reasons we struggle to get rid of leeches – habit, guilt, stubbornness, and fear.
My Perspective
I’m intrigued by this concept.
The use of “leech” works for me because I immediately want to “get it off me”.
I wonder if we can see all our leeches.
Could some be so ingrained in our lives that we don’t realize how they suck the life out of us?
This exercise is now on my list to try.
I look forward to finding what I discover.
Your Turn
What are the lilies in your life?
What are the leeches you need to prune?
Can you identify the source of your leeches – habit, guilt, stubbornness, or fear?