You have influence on yourself and those around you.
You matter, in a very real way.
Everything from your thoughts, feelings, actions, the results you get, and the way you behave and show up, matter.
And with that you have a RESPONSIBILITY in the sense that you have every ABILITY within you to RESPOND however you choose.
Cheers to choice, right!?
That can and hopefully is a wonderful power that I hope you embrace having control over.
Cheers to control, one key fundamental human need.
What you do with that power and ability can be nurtured and tended in the way only you determine.
With that it is your responsibility of how your relationship with yourself and others will grow.
Just as plants need rain and sunlight and weeding, your relationships need looking after.
And this growth lies in YOUR commitment to yourself and who you want to be to and for others, as well as how you want to show up in the world.
If there is something in your life that you are wanting to change, struggling with, stressed or anxious about, these things, as you know, need some focus and care…. from YOU.
Whatever you might be working towards or facing in life, remember, YOU, and only you have the capability to create your world.
As Abraham Joshua Heschel wisely noted, Words create worlds.
What do you allow to grow, bloom and flourish in the garden of your mind, the choice is yours if you want to plant seeds of flowers or weeds.
The best part is, you actually can decide for yourself. Hallelujah!
Let’s look a little closer at what this can mean for you and your ability to plant a garden of your preference in your mind.
Pull the Weeds
The weeds in an external veggie garden, just like the garden in our minds, do not need to be there.
What do weeds do anyways, they compete with and invade the beautiful flowers.
For weeds to survive, they too need to be cared for. They need sunlight, water and nutrients to thrive to stay alive.
All the while they use up those same nutrients that could better support the growth of the flowers that you likely want in your garden.
Just as the words we say to ourselves on repeat, subconscious or not, need our permission to stay.
We decide what we allow in.
I imagine you can think of a number of different examples of weeds that may have developed or taken up residency in your thoughts.
These are the weeds that are draining your energy and holding you back from growing and developing.
Some Common examples of WEEDS found in the garden of the mind:
Anxiety
Imposter syndrome
FOMO
Stress
Self-worth
Distractions
Self-doubt
Bad habits
To pull these weeds out, like any weed, it is important to get them from the deepest part of their roots.
This can be tricky as many of our deepest roots stem from our youth or long ago that we don’t recall when these thoughts or beliefs about ourselves actually started.
But most importantly, you can get there, you can figure it out with time, patience and focused energy on doing just that.
There are many strategies that could work for you. Finding one might take some time, but when you do, therein lies a sweetest relief that comes with uncovering and removing the limitations these weeds create in you.
One simple and powerful way you can start on your own today to determine when those original weeds were planted is to take time to reflect on the matter at hand.
This task may seem overly simple, however, when practiced consistently, with focused attention on a specific weed in your mind, paired with journaling about it, this practice has unquestionable long-term benefits.
One other reality of this process is that weeds, new & old will continue to pop up and visit you. Hello!
They never really go away.
You just get better at recognizing them and maintaining them before their growth gets in the way of your growth.
And that is a powerful skill that will surely support you in ways you cannot yet imagine.
Plant the Seeds
Each seed you plant is an opportunity for growth.
When you become aware of your innate ability to create any story you choose in your life, you will also likely see more opportunities for growth and positive change.
This wisdom has been around for ages and continues to inspire the greats, though the rewards remain attainable for everyone because it can be as simple as the following….
What you focus on Grows… Robin Sharma
What you resist persists… Carl Jung
Where the attention goes the energy flows/follows… James Redfield
Your Words Create Your World & your Reality — So Choose Them Consciously… Unknown
Therefore, choosing which seeds you plant and which flowers grow in the garden of your mind
and what you allow to play on repeat in your thoughts, is going to be connected to the feelings you have, the actions you take and the outcomes you get in life.
Prioritizing is a necessity here especially given that the average human has approximately 60,000+ thoughts in a given day with the majority of them being negative if allowed to remain on autopilot.
But, these phrase flips to the positive can come from one simple thought that is planted.
Given that reality, why wouldn’t one choose to plant seeds of positive growth instead of the alternative as much as possible?!
Some Common examples of positive SEEDS found in the garden of the mind:
Effort
Gratitude
Appreciation
Acceptance
Consistency and persistence
Positive self-talk
Optimism
Open-mindedness
Growth mindset
You have likely experienced many if not all of the above and know how much more fulfilling a feeling these seeds of growth are in comparison to the above weeds.
Oh….and don’t they just sound so much more inviting and encouraging?
When you think of your thoughts like a garden and realize how similar they are, I hope you see that you really can create the life you want.
This doesn't mean you won't face challenges, because you always will, that is just how life goes.
Though, if you take on the intentional practice of consistently nurturing and tending to your garden, pulling weeds and planting new seeds, you will build a strong base from where you can continue to manage your growth in the way you wish and reap the fruits of your efforts.
Keep in mind, that even though a weed may be unwanted it is also an opportunity for growth.
I would recommend that you do your best to become aware of these opportunities for growth, these ways your subconscious mind is trying to protect you, keep you safe and signal what you value.
Pay attention to that, and allow it to guide you to realize what seeds make sense for you to continue planting so that you can move forward in a way that provides the most value for you.
After becoming aware of the possible weeds and seeds planted in your thoughts, the next step is to DECIDE which ones you want to remain.
A key step in this awareness-weed to seed transplant process that can help you transition into the new thought process is paying attention to the existing evidence of the new decision to replace the weeds with seeds.
Here are some examples I have used for myself:
This practice above might seem trivial or too easy at first, but I implore you to give it an honest effort and see for yourself what weeds you might have invading & overcrowding your garden of possibility.
Then work on making conscious decisions of what seeds you would much rather be planting to create a garden rich with seeds that support you in creating a place where you can blossom.
I would love to hear what you might work on from the thoughts above.
Let me know what the most useful part of this post was for you.
What value did you take from this practice and/or how might you want to use this for YOU going forward?
Much love, growth and a beautiful garden to you.
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