cutting is necessary

I saw this beautiful old tree today marked with many cuts where old boughs and branches had been cut off to save the tree, It is never easy to see trees undergoing the blade but it is necessary to preserve life.
So too with us. Every now and again we need to subeject ourselves to pruning to get rid of those things that weigh us down - bad thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, worries.. It is never easy but it is a necessary part of growth