Online Reporter
Rutendo Gwatidzo
Changing Perspectives
Have you ever given your best towards something until you exhaust yourself? Have you ever tried until there isn’t anything else to try?
Have you ever put your all but, to no avail? Often times, life is like this – you invest in something or someone whole heartedly until you run dry. Allow me to share some advice mainly based on what some of my mentors taught me.
There comes a time in life when we must confront an uncomfortable truth that, not everything we nurture will grow. Some dreams, relationships, projects, or careers we once believed in so deeply eventually stop bearing fruit. Yet many of us remain stuck, pouring time, energy, and emotions into things that have long lost life.
We keep “watering dead plants,” hoping one day they’ll bloom again. But the longer we hold on, the more we lose our vitality and our ability to grow where we’re truly meant to.
Recognising When Something Is No Longer Alive!
Every ending begins with a sign. Sometimes it’s subtle like a withering enthusiasm or loss of peace over something, for instance. Other times, doors keep closing, people drift away, or you’re met with resistance at every turn. Still, out of loyalty, fear or pride, we probably keep holding on. We tell ourselves, “Maybe it just needs more effort, more faith or time.” But just as a farmer must know the difference between a plant that’s dormant and one that’s dead, we too must learn to discern when something in our life is simply not meant to continue.
When something is no longer serving your growth and when it consistently drains you, steals your peace, and offers no return on your investment, it’s a sign to release.
Why We Keep Watering Dead Plants!
Human beings are wired to hope. Hope is beautiful, but misplaced hope can be destructive. We probably keep watering dead plants because we’re afraid of failure or loneliness. We fear what others will say if we let go.
Sometimes we’re attached to the idea of what it used to be, or what we wished it would become.
Organisational Status!
In organisations, watering dead plants can be found in the form of leaders clinging to outdated systems that no longer deliver results, or employees staying in roles that stifle their growth. Certain contracts only exist out of guilt or obligation, even when mutual respect and passion have died. Some employees stopped meeting even half of their target a long time ago, some probably never met them since the date of joining the organisation. Yet, every month they get paid or expect to get paid.
Holding on to what no longer works consumes the space and energy that new opportunities require. Eventually, the organization will run dry and all parties will be forced to leave – frustrated.
Every time you water a dead plant, you deny yourself the chance to plant something new, something that can actually thrive.
Letting Go Is Not Failure But, It’s Wisdom!
Letting go does not mean you’ve failed. It means you’ve grown wise enough to stop forcing life where it no longer exists. It’s an act of courage and one of the most liberating decisions to make.
Imagine a farmer holding on to a dead crop, refusing to plough the field because of the time, effort, and money already spent. The land would remain barren. But once the farmer clears the ground and plants again, new life emerges. The same principle applies to you.
The Cost of Holding On!
The price of watering a dead plant is often invisible at first. It’s probably in the sleepless nights, constant anxiety, loss of joy and creativity. Over time, your passion fades, your confidence weakens, and your sense of purpose becomes blurred.
In workplaces, it can lead to burnout and low morale. In personal life, it probably breeds resentment and emotional fatigue. Spiritually, it may block you from hearing God’s direction clearly. Learn to let go and make space for fresh inspiration, new relationships, and new visions.
How to Stop Watering a Dead Plant?
Some of the ways to stop watering a dead plant include the following:
Accept the truth: Acknowledge that it’s not working. Acceptance is not giving up; it’s simply gaining clarity. Be honest about what has died, be it the project, relationship or dream. Grab your lessons and move on.
Release gracefully: There is no need for war because in most cases it only makes the situation worse. It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out the way you thought it would but, there is no need to burn that bridge, just walk away and start something new. Let success be your form of revenge.
Seek divine direction: if you are a believer, pray for discernment. Sometimes God removes certain things not to punish us but to prepare us for something greater.
Plant again: Once you let go, don’t sit in emptiness. Start something new. The moment you stop watering what’s dead, you rediscover your strength. You begin to pour your energy into things that respond to growth. Surrounding yourself with people and projects that add value instead of draining it.
Your worth is not tied to who left, what failed, or what didn’t work out. Your purpose remains alive, waiting for the right soil to flourish again.
Take Hid!
There is beauty in release. It is not the end; it is a sacred transition. When you stop watering dead plants, you start reclaiming your life, peace, and purpose. Don’t be afraid to close certain chapters. Life is all about learning, unlearning and re-learning.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is a human capital executive as managing consultant at The HUB HR Consultancy. She is a multi-award winning leader, speaker and coach. She is also an Author of Born to Fight and Breaking the Silence books. Contact details – 0714575805/ [email protected] / Rutendo Gwatidzo_Official FB public page.
