Picking Our Weeds

“Removing negativity from your life leaves more room for positivity to grow.” ~ Unknown.


The way in which weeds stunt the growth and development of our plants in our gardens is similar to the way in which negative influences stunt our own growth and development; as individuals (personally, professionally, and spiritually), as couples, as families, as communities…and, as contestants! To help our plants flourish and reach their full blooming potential, we must be proactive about identifying and picking the weeds that surround them, and then we must be intentional about nurturing our garden. To help US flourish and reach our full blooming potential, we must also be proactive about identifying and picking our weeds, aka the negative influences around us, and then we must be intentional about nurturing our garden, aka the lives we’re living…or the platforms we’re promoting.

Leading up to Mrs. International Pageant week, pageant prep was in full swing. Paperwork, Interview Prep, Walking and Posing, Wardrobe, Hair and Makeup, Spray Tan, Silent Auction Item, Travel Arrangements, Social Media Calendar, Platform Work; the list goes on and on and on! Besides the work I was doing with my platform, BE A FOSTER, the most important pageant prep I was doing was related to my MINDSET. As a contestant, it was easy to allow weeds to creep into my garden; weeds that could’ve prevented me from being the best contestant I could be. Weeds that came in the form of insecurities, self-doubt, and negative self-talk. “Who am I to win this pageant? I’m no one special. I’m not pretty enough. My platform isn’t strong enough. My wardrobe isn’t stylish enough. I’m not in good enough shape. My silent auction gift isn’t unique enough. My walk won’t stand out. I don’t fit into the pageant world. I’m just not what they’re looking for. Blah, blah, blah.”

To allow myself to flourish and to become the best contestant I could be, I followed these 3 steps:

Step 1: Identify the weed...the negative thought.

Step 2: Pick the weed...remove it from my mind.

Step 3: Nurture the garden...replace it with a positive thought...God’s truth.

Going into my third time competing for the title of Mrs. International, the most important “pageant prep” I could do, again, besides the work I was doing with my platform, was the work I was doing to get my mindset where it needed to be. I needed to identify and remove any and all negative thoughts from my mind, especially the negative thoughts that were provoked by the negative opinions and comments of others, and replace them with God’s truth. After all, someone’s opinion about me (even my own opinion sometimes), isn’t God’s truth about me. I reminded myself that I AM ENOUGH...I don’t need to be anyone but ME. I AM ABLE...God has blessed me (us) with a message that can make a difference, and He will equip me (us) with what I (we) need to complete the work that He began within me (us). And, I AM WORTHY...it’s an incredible honor to represent the Foster Community and the kiddos we have been called to love and serve. It’s a responsibility I (we) do not take lightly, and I am (we are) worthy of the opportunity to share this message and this platform with the world!

Now that I’m Mrs. International 2020, those weeds haven’t just magically gone away. Believe it or not, even though I won, I still, from time to time, have to be very intentional about identifying and picking the weeds that come in the form of my own insecurities, self-doubt, and negative self-talk. I’ve also had to continue being intentional about identifying and picking the weeds that come in the form of judgement or criticism from others.

Whether they’re our own thoughts, behaviors, and actions, our environment, or even the outside influences of other people, each and every one of us have weeds in our gardens that need to be picked. It’s too easy to allow negativity of any form to creep in and to take our time and attention and energy away from the good that we can be accomplishing, which is why it’s so incredibly important for us to be proactive about identifying and picking any weeds that stunt our growth and development as individuals, couples, families, communities…and contestants…and replacing them with God’s truth about us, in order to help us flourish and to reach our full blooming potential.

Ashley Rae Klinger
Mrs. International 2020

The Need is Great - Make an Impact - BE A FOSTER

"Encouraging families to make an impact in the life of a child and be a foster."

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