JoyScaping Tip: Sow Only What You Want To Grow
" A man's mind may be likened to a garden which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind. " ~James Allen
Have you ever noticed that when we worry and rehearse negative thoughts that all hell breaks loose in our lives? Or, that we see our negative beliefs play out in our experiences time after time? What we do comes from what we think. The basic premise of JoyScaping is that our lives are gardens and we are the gardeners. To cultivate joy and create a life that's beautiful and bountiful, requires planning, planting and maintenance. We have more control over what shows up and stays in our garden than we like to think. We've all heard that we reap what we sow. This is true of thought and words, in addition to deeds.Sow only what you want to grow. What thoughts are you planting in your subconscious or into your children's minds? Do you believe that things never work out in your favor, that people are out to get you, that your boss is crazy or that you'll never find love? While you may have had experiences to support this belief, you have had other experiences which do not. Which belief do want to grow? The negative thoughts and words we rehearse are seeds. What we plant in life grows and we eat the fruit of our beliefs. The next time you have a thought or are tempted to announce a negative "truth" or complaint stop and do these three things to consciously sow better seeds. 1) Ask yourself: Do I want this to be my experience? While we may feel justified in thinking that our spouse is wrong, all women or men are (insert negative belief here) or that the world is a mess, do you want to eat the experiences that those thoughts create daily? Resist the urge to keep saying that belief, rehearsing the sad story or stewing in those thoughts.
2) Shift your thoughts to what you want to experience. Whatever the negative thought or belief is, what would you like to have in its place? What does it look like? What does it feel like? If you have a stressful relationship, maybe you want in its place a peaceful, supportive relationship with that person, in which you get along beautifully and feel valued and loved. Add gratitude for the good you already have. These thoughts are the seeds you need.
3) Affirm your new desired experience. Affirm more of what you want is coming to you more and more each day. If you struggle with believing something that positive (which could be if you've conditioned yourself to believe and expect the worst for a long time)' then affirm your willingness to have it, and look for evidence of the presence of what you want. Do you know anyone who has what you'd like to have? Have you ever had it in your own life? That is proof that the good you desire exists.
Deliberately JoyScape a new experience by planting new seeds of thought, word and deed. What you sow, grows. What begins to show up will look and feel better and put you in a joyful space.
Have a question or a post you would like to see? Email: joyscaping@gmail.com.
