Day 224: What Are You Planting?
Yesterday I was cutting open a red pepper to make a big pot of my vegan sloppy joes. One of my favorite lunches.
As I cut open the pepper and saw that all the seeds were still neatly attached to the core, I thought about taking it outside and planting it.
But I quickly realized I didn't have good soil to plant it in.
It reminded me that years ago there were 2 very healthy pepper plants near the parking lot. Those seeds happened to land in area where there was drip irrigation for bougainvillea.
Those particular seeds landed in the right spot, for sure.
Our thoughts are a lot like those seeds.
They can all be dropped in the same general area and have very different outcomes depending on if they land in a place that is conducive to growth.
Some of them probably dried up and were blown onto the pavement. They died from neglect.
Some may have been eaten by the birds. They missed the opportunity to grow because they were meant for someone else.
Some were blown further under the gnarly trunks of the bougainvillea, and because it was dark and tangled, they didn't get what they needed to survive.
And those seeds that fell on the good soil and had access to water, they flourished and grew into beautiful plants full of peppers.
Those plants made me smile every time I would walk by them.
They beat the odds and took full advantage of every asset at their disposal to become healthy and produce several peppers.
Our thoughts drop into our minds, just like those seeds hitting the ground.
Some go on to become a desire, a vision, words, and actions, until they bear fruit and materialize.
Others are ignored. Some are contemplated and dismissed.
Some just weren't a fit for us at this time and we let them go.
The other question is, what quality of soil are you planting those seeds in that you choose to keep?
If the soil is full of lower vibration emotions and negative thoughts, your seeds will struggle to grow at all.
Healing, loving, life-affirming thoughts can't prosper in an environment that isn't nurturing.
That doesn't mean we have to create a perfect environment. It means we have to notice what we keep feeding.
If the soil is good and fertilizer and compost are added regularly to improve the soil and keep it healthy, your seeds will grow into something beautiful.
That good soil and additives, in terms of your thoughts, are your positive thoughts, spiritual practice, meditation, surrounding yourself with kind, loving people who encourage you, and taking care of your mind, body, and soul.
It also means that we guard what input we allow to come from other people.
Think about all the sources of information that come into your life daily.
Do they uplift you? Make you think about things that will make your life better?
Or do they raise your blood pressure and leave you feeling anxious, frustrated, or feeling worse about yourself?
I grew up with the TV on at all times. Even when my parents were reading books, the TV was still on in the background.
I continued that habit for decades.
Now I spend most of my day in silence with only the sounds of nature, and an occasional barking dog.
It was a gradual thing. I stopped recording things on my VCR, back in the day, so I wasn't constantly watching even more things faster.
I stopped watching the news because I felt worse instead of better afterward.
I stopped watching shows and movies with a lot of violence and cruelty for the same reason.
I learned to focus on how things felt in my body while I was in the experience and afterward.
We have complete control of how we manage our emotions once we learn to be aware of our state as it fluctuates throughout the day.
We choose which thoughts turn into seeds that we plant and allow to grow.
We also choose what kind of soil those thoughts are landing in.
What are we watching and listening to?
What conversations are we replaying?
What ideas are we letting take root?
We can become more aligned and congruent within ourselves by increasing our awareness of what we are nurturing and what we are allowing in.
Nurture what you want and ignore what isn't for you.
Give your best thoughts a place where they can grow.
Today's Gentle Practice
Think about one thought you've been giving a lot of attention to lately.
Ask yourself:
Is this a seed I actually want to plant and nurture?
You don't have to fight every thought that comes through.
Just notice which ones you are watering.
Then choose one thought that feels more loving, more supportive, or more aligned with the life you want to grow.
With you,
Lynn
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