Mental Gardening

When we are born we are born with a clean slate. Void of any presumptions and influences.  We are totally dependent upon our care takers.  Because of this early dependency our slate begins to fill based on the influences of our care takers.  Are we encouraged to take chances and risks? Are we prohibited in taking chances because of the fears of someone else? Are we bombarded by the word ‘No’?  Were we praised for good actions and decisions?  Were we criticized for poor choices?  The answer to these questions and many more is the information that begins to fill in our slate.  It is from these early influences that our current decisions are made.

As we enter into adulthood it is our ability to look back on our youth retrospectively and learn from our experiences good or bad and move forward. Each of us has a choice regardless of upbringing.  It is the wise man who can look back on his life and sort out the good from the bad and take corrective actions to improve or enhance his position.  Taking this corrective action can be done through ‘Mental Gardening’.  When one thinks of gardening one tends to think about tending to plants (vegetable, flowers, and grasses) and create the best environment to permit the plants to prosper. When conditions are just right the plants grow with what seems like little effort.  When the conditions are poor one strives to improve the conditions. One may consult the local nursery, read how to books, speak with neighbors, and search the internet all in an effort to gain the knowledge on how to improve the conditions so that the plants can prosper.  The term ‘Mental Gardening’ refers to ones mind.  In order for one to be successful they must tend to their mindset just as a gardener tends to the garden.  When the conditions are right we can see exponential growth both personal and professional.  When the conditions are poor one needs to put the effort in to improve the conditions.  One needs to seek out information that will help improve the mindset.  Negative thoughts regardless of the cause can take the momentum quickly.  No one is immune to negative thoughts, but those who have invested the time into cultivating a positive mindset are more likely to overcome the negative thoughts.  They have a higher purpose and negative thoughts do not serve a purpose.

There are any number of ways to improve ones mindset which way is best for you, well that is part of the cultivating process.  However, here is the method that has worked best from me through the years.  When I am operating at peak capacity both personally and professionally I choose to read something geared towards self improvement for at least 30 minutes every day.  I am choosing to pursue activities outside of my chosen industry.  I choose to take an active roll in the lives of my family. Finally the most important things that I do is take time for myself.