The tiny seed knew that in order to grow, it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered with darkness, and struggle to reach the light.

~Sandra Kring

The law of nature’s premise is that everything is connected, revealing its complexity and interconnectedness. Each action affects the whole. A seed grows into a plant, just as our thoughts are the seeds that manifest in reality. When we sow seeds of negative thoughts and expect our lives to be bountiful, it is like planting an unwanted plant and expecting flowers to grow. So, it is within our power and intention to choose our thoughts carefully to cultivate our desired lives.

I received a message from a reader, let’s call her Anna, who had to clear her yard of invasive weeds that were unhealthy for her dog. Anyone who has had to remove weeds knows how demanding the job is.

Anna was able to find humor and joy in this tedious task.

In frustration one day, I took my small meditation bench outside and used that as my seat as I was weeding. It brought humor to the moment I realized I was “zen” gardening.” As I uprooted foxtails, burrs, and stork bills, I thought about how deeply rooted these things get given just a tiny amount of time and how they thrive in a challenging environment. It made me think; this is how negative thoughts multiply.

This whole experience made me think of the essence of The Let Go: finding a way to remove the things in the way and focusing on the positive outcome.

I have reminded myself several times that the purpose of this de-weeding is primarily for the dogs’ well-being. Still, it’s lovely to understand that doing it also impacts how we face challenges, rearrange priorities, choose love and safety, and make it happen.

The project is not complete, but it’s making progress, which feels like a metaphor for life’s journey itself.

I could not have stated it better. Our thoughts are the most impactful actions we can take in our lives. They are the seeds that create every aspect of who we are.

Two thoughts struck me. First, she was doing this for her dog, which brought a higher purpose to the task through love and service. Second, she found a correlation between the weeds and negative thoughts. This is, in essence, mindfulness in the action.

When we design a garden, we choose the layout and consider the sun’s strength, the soil’s composition, and which plants will live in harmony. Just as we design our gardens, we create our lives.

The choices we make reflect our thoughts. The simplicity of changing our focus is all it takes to make a garden thrive or one that doesn’t. The key to a good gardener is to tend to what we want and eliminate what we don’t. However, weeds or unwanted parts can eventually overwhelm the design if they are not monitored.

Not everyone accepts their role as gardeners. I have often heard that I cannot grow anything or don’t have a green thumb. I instantly understand something about this person. The same applies when I hear some say they are bad at something or cannot do x,y, or z. Their core beliefs may prevent them from excelling, yet it is often the desire to take the time.

When the weeds of negative thoughts begin, that’s when the work starts. Systematically removing them as they sprout will support our positive intentions to flourish. The ability to change does not happen all at once.

First, it is the intention, then an action, then a practice, then consistency, then a habit, and then it becomes who we are.

Some may find setting the intention difficult, while others think taking the first step is the most challenging. Others struggle to keep it up each time the old thoughts arise, but when it becomes a habit, we know a transformation has occurred, and it has become who we are.

What we focus on will grow. Negative thoughts occupy our minds like weeds taking space in our gardens, yet our vision clears with steadfastness when we visualize what we want.

With awareness, diligence, and mindfulness, we can shed what is not desired, creating room for beauty to grow. Over time, the weeds will diminish, and in their place, the productive and positive thoughts that we have cultivated will remain.

Shifting how we see life begins with sowing the seeds of thoughts we wish to manifest. Are you ready to watch the garden of your desire grow?

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.

 ~Robert Louis Stevenson