Gardener of the Mind

Where I live now, I'm fortunate to have a large garden.  I am not a keen gardener, nor do I have 'green fingers', but I do like to be surrounded by nature.  For me, having a large garden is like having my own little piece of countryside right on my doorstep.  I can just step out and imagine that I am far away from all the hustle and bustle, surrounded by greenery, listening to the birds singing.  I can even hear the insects, bees busily buzzing.  It's wonderfully peaceful and calming.  Just 10 -15mins here calms my mind and boosts my energy.

Now, as I mentioned, I'm not a keen gardener, I couldn't tell you one plant from another and it really isn't important to me to be able to do so in order to enjoy my garden.  Even when it comes to weeds...when I first moved in, the garden was a little neglected, not overly so, but some weeds had taken hold.  The thing is, I was so content at having my own little piece of countryside that I didn't even notice, it made no difference to my enjoyment of having this space.

Then the weeds were pointed out to me by other people, friends & family, they were brought to my attention.

At first I responded philosophically - one man's weed is another man's flower.  The seed heads of the dandelions brought back childhood memories of blowing the seeds away and making a wish.  After a while though, because they had been left, because I had done nothing to stop them, the weeds spread and began to take over the garden.

It was no longer an option to ignore them, so I began cutting them back.  I cleared the garden of every visible weed and felt good about it.  It seemed like only a short time however before they were back...and in force!  I cut them back again and again, only for them to come back each time stronger than before.

Finally I realised that to be rid of them altogether I would need to get to the roots, to dig them out completely.  The roots had had a long time to establish themselves and were not easy to remove, but remove them I did, with help from friends and family, together we dug out all the root systems of the weeds.

Now when I sit in my little piece of countryside, my sanctuary, I am quick to notice any weed and I remove it immediately, before it takes root and becomes a more serious problem.  Any plant that I am not sure of, I ask somebody who is.

I can sit in my garden and know that everything there is in harmony and I can enjoy the peacefulness and allow it to wash over and through me.

Our minds are like a garden.  Thoughts are like seeds blowing in on the wind.  Some of these thoughts will blow straight on through, some will land, take root and sprout forming our ideas and beliefs.  We need to pay attention to these thoughts that have taken root - are they positive (nice plants and flowers that we are happy to have in our garden) or are they negative (the weeds that we must uproot and remove before they take over).  Sometimes it is hard to tell a weed from a flower when they first sprout.  With your thoughts, you can pay attention to how they make you feel.  If the thought makes you feel uptight, anxious, angry or tense then that is a good sign that it is a weed and needs uprooting and removing.  We will all feel these things from time to time, it's a part of life and perfectly natural.  The only time it is a problem is when you ignore them, allow them to take root and allow them to shape your ideas and beliefs.

When you have removed the roots of negative thoughts, either on your own or with help, you can sit in the garden of your mind and experience peace, tranquillity and clarity.  You can watch your thoughts come and go and choose which ones you would like to take root and which ones you would like to float on by.

My skill is in helping you to identify and remove the negative, disabling thoughts and to prepare the ground and implant positive, empowering thoughts.  In that respect I am a 'Gardener of the Mind'.