***In The Garden by Judi Moreo

This spring, you may be fortunate enough to have good weather, a small piece of earth and the energy, enthusiasm and inspiration to plant a garden. There is nothing better to shake off the boredom and dullness of winter than to dig in the earth, plant some seeds and watch them grow. A small garden can produce something extra fresh for dinner, flowers for the table and a feeling of accomplishment. It is work, but it is ever so rewarding.
What about your life garden? Just as a beautiful garden is a work in progress, so is the garden in your mind. It takes conscious effort, planning, constant nurturing and weeding to grow a garden. What have you planted – what have you allowed to take root? Is your life the out-picturing of a well laid out garden or a jumble of plants, trees and weeds whose seeds were blown your way and took root?

We have all heard phrases like “sowing seeds of doubt”, or “seeds of discontent.” We can make a conscious choice whether to allow them to take root in our lives or cast them out of our garden. Negative energy and words, like weeds, will spread quickly if left unchecked. Find a good “weed killer” – a book, an inspirational story, positive affirmations – to help you get rid of the thoughts that detract from the beauty of your garden.

Plant as many seeds of joy and beauty as you can – in your own life and in the lives of the people with whom you live and work every day. Grow a gratitude garden, a peace garden and a dream garden. Tend to them daily. If you give them time and energy, you will have a rich harvest of success, happiness and peace of mind.

On a fresh sheet of paper, make two columns. Label them Weeds and Seeds. Take a few minutes to review and jot down the thoughts you have and enter them in either the Weeds or Seeds column.

For the weeds column, ask yourself if this is something you need to think about. If so, change the thought from a weed to a seed by changing it to a positive statement. Instead of “I am so disorganized.” Try: “I am organizing my desk.”

For the seeds column, ask yourself what you can do to nurture this idea. Perhaps, organizing your desk means breaking it down into smaller steps, i.e. “Today I will clean the top drawer of my desk.”