Garden of Intentions: Tend to Yoursby Kirsten Harrell

Spring is in the air! The natural cycle of the spring season brings fresh new energy. Spring is the time of new beginnings and new growth. The days are getting longer, the ground is thawing, the trees are budding, the birds are singing. It is easy to feel the excitement of this spring energy. Spring is the time that people get out and enjoy the process of clearing the land, planting seeds, and tending to their garden. It is also the perfect time to start something new in your life. It is a great time to set new intentions for what you want to create in your life. Spring is the time to tend to your mental garden so that you can achieve your goals and dreams.

The process of gardening provides a perfect metaphor for developing your goals and intentions. To start a garden you must clear the land and choose the plants that you will include. After the seeds are planted, you watch your garden begin to grow and the new plants begin to sprout. You tend to these plants and give them the care they need to flourish. You pull weeds and fend off insects and critters that want to eat your growing plants. You do not, however, go out and pull the baby plants up trying to rush their growth. You understand that your plants have their own timing and you must have patience. There are things you can control and you let go of the rest.

Take advantage of this spring energy and pay attention to your mental garden of intentions. Sit down and create a list of intentions or goals that you want to accomplish. You can also use your New Year’s resolutions, and/or your vision boards. Clear your mental landscape by getting centered and meditating. Allow your body to relax and your mind to stay focused in the present moment. Once you are relaxed and quiet, you can place your intentions in the field of infinite possibilities.

Once these intentions are planted, you must tend to your mental garden. You can take the steps needed to help ensure success, but you must allow the natural timing to unfold. Just as you can't rush the little baby carrots to grow faster, you cannot rush the unfolding of your intentions. You have let go and trust the process. You must let go of expectations and the need to control as you develop the patience to allow your intentions to grow. You can weed out the negative thoughts and fend off others who try to pick at your dreams with negativity; however, you will need to find the balance between action and patience.

As you evaluate your progress, be sure to take time to enjoy the process. Remember that success is a journey and not a destination. Look for signs of growth and celebrate your successes. Expressing gratitude for your success is equivalent to the water and sunshine that is needed in your garden. The more you focus on the positive aspects, the better off you will be. Your positive thoughts act like fertilizer causing your intentions and dreams to grow bigger and stronger.

If you don't tend to your mental garden, your intentions will whither and die just like the plants in your garden die without your efforts. When you take the necessary steps and allow your intentions the mental space to grow and flourish, you can trust that you will be able to harvest the fruits of your labor. Enjoy the process as you reach your goals and dreams.


Top of Page