Mental Balancing Act

How does your thought garden grow? A healthy and well cultivated thought garden does not just happen. Like most things in life, we have to pray, plan, and carry out certain disciplines to grow a healthy thought garden.

“Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits, which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts.”  James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

Dan Miller shared this story in his book, 48 Days to the Work You Love. This is not rocket science, yet it is something that requires discipline. None of us like weeds. Sure at first they are barely noticeable…eh, I’ll get to that later. But, before you know it, BAM! …they are choking out the plants you worked so hard to grow. 

Miller goes on to say that it is important to “control your own destiny by controlling what goes into your mind. The books you read, the thoughts you think, the television you watch, the conversations you participate in, the people you associate with, and the music you listen to create your future. Are you sowing the seeds for the life you want five years from now?”

Good, fine, great … SO here are some questions to help you weed more successfully:

        Are you reading books that engage your mind and allow for growth?

        Are you watching shows (TV or online) that are uplifting emotionally or mentally stimulating?

        What about the conversations you have, either with someone else or with yourself? Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  I find this especially tough sometimes when I am addressing myself (yes, I talk to myself a lot!).  Quoting this scripture reminds me to pull this nasty weed from my thought garden. Off to the compost pile with you!

I encourage you to focus on one weed that you will yank out of your thought garden this week. While you’re on your knees pulling those weeds make sure that you give thanks to the One who makes us stronger with each weed we remove.