This is the time of year when we buy seeds to plant.  We plant flowers, shrubs, trees, vegetables, etc and we expect that once the seeds are planted and the soil is watered that we will receive a harvest.  You can’t expect to harvest what you have not sown. It’s important to realize that if you do not tend to your garden, it doesn’t mean that plants will not grow.  What it does mean is the wrong plants will grow.  Weeds will pop up if you neglect the soil. This is also true for your mind.  Your mind is a mental garden and the weeds must be kept out.  You must pull out the negative thoughts (weeds) and replace them with seeds that will grow fruit.  Every thought we have is a seed being planted.  We can either plants seeds that grow into bountiful flowers or we can plant seeds that grow into weeds. We are all gardeners in our own lives and we need to pay attention to the types of seeds we are planting.  Ask yourself if you are growing weeds of judgment, unforgiveness, hate or disharmony? Or, is your garden (mind) full of seeds that will blossom into  peace, love and unity?

As you plant seeds in your  life remember that seeds take time to grow.  A whole garden isn’t created over night, and neither is a balanced life.  If you focus on the good things in your life, you will start to see something new and beautiful grow.  This is how a mature and balanced life starts and you are well on your way to living the life you’ve always wanted.  Also remember that seeds must change to grow.   A seed can’t stay a seed forever.  When cared for with nourishing soil, rays of sunlight, and water, they change shape and start to become whatever it is they were meant to be. To become mature, you too, must let go of anything that is limiting your growth so that you can embrace the transformation that needs  to take place. Be confident that you will take on a better form and it will take time. Take pleasure in knowing that once a seed begins to bloom everyone recognizes its beauty and  appreciates it for what it has become – the new you.

I urge you to become intentional with the seeds you plant in your life no matter how hard or pointless it may seem right now. With a little time, patience and hard work, your life will be filled with beauty and you will be forever changing and growing better and better with age. Just like bees are attracted to honey, your life will be a magnet to the right kind of people that will contribute to the growth and beauty of your garden in their own way.

Something to think about: Are you planting flowers or weeds?

A positive outlook on life is one of the most powerful assets you can have. Positive people expect success, good health, happiness, wealth and good relationships and those things tend to show up in their lives. This is not because they are already successful, or because they are more confident, it is simply their attitude.  Attitudes like being positive, not being fearful and the determination to never give up are powerful and  affect your life in tremendous ways and it all begins with your thoughts.

Your thoughts control not only what you think but also what you say and do. That is why positive thinking is so important. If you have any questions in your mind whether or not you are a positive person, you probably have room for improvement. You can change your attitude by first expecting good things to happen in your life. Don’t just think about them happening, you need to fully believe that what you want will in fact come to you. Look for opportunities for your goals to be reached at all times and act on them when you see them. Don’t second guess if an opportunity is just wishful thinking. If you have been expecting what you want to happen then see it as the right opportunity.

Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.  In the same way, stop hanging out with negative people. They drain you on a daily basis and prevent you from reaching your potential.  Let your family and friends know that you want only positive energy in your life.  A good positive  environment must first start with you. No more saying “ I can’t”, only “I can.” Even the words “I think I can” is not good enough. You must believe that you can.  Anything is possible with optimism.

Your thoughts have tremendous power. With the right thoughts you create the right beliefs and when you really put your mind to it, I bet you can do anything.  I can do anything is a simple phrase, but it helps to remind yourself that you really can do anything you set your mind to. Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can’t do something, give yourself reasons why you can. It’s never too late to go after your dream.

Life is too short and time is passing too quickly.  We hear these clichés over and over again, but most of the time, we fail to take them literally until something happens to us or someone we love. Most of us have a tendency to take life for granted but as we age we realize that life and time are too precious and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. Time cannot be contained. We can only capture memories of the things we did, the emotions we felt and the people we shared them with within time. Sometimes the memories are painful and we’d like to forget them, or we wish we could go back and redo but we can’t because time doesn’t stand still and a rewind isn’t possible. We can only learn from what has transpired within time, grow from it and move on.

Time is a precious gift though we rarely stop and acknowledge it as such. With every day time is equally allotted to everyone – 24 hours, and what we do with that time is totally up to us. We can spend our time wisely, or worthlessly, we can squander it, or invest it, we can enjoy it, or abuse it, we can live it, or retreat from it, but it moves on regardless. Time does give us opportunities to make changes within ourselves that will empower us to be better human beings. Time should be used to seek forgiveness for wrongs we have done and to forgive the wrongs done to us. Time should be used to change how we see others or even how we view ourselves. Time can also be used to build up your self-esteem because ultimately it will have a positive effect not only on yourself, but on those around you.

We need to use the time we have now, to live in the present, to embrace everything good, to love unconditionally, and to share our lives with others by showing them that we care. Make the decision to use the time given to you wisely, and you will not only find fulfillment, but enjoyment in the process. Refrain from wasting time by feeling sorry for yourself because there are people out there who would do anything to be in your shoes instead of where they are. Spend time with the people that have helped you to become who you are today. You can never thank them enough. Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves – regret for the past and fear of the future but life’s too short to wake up with regrets. Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don’t. Sometimes it is helpful to remember those who don’t treat us well because they remind us to not treat others that way.

No one knows how much time has been allotted to them to live so live the best life you can live and be the best person you can be. Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.  Time is important and should be treated as such.  Making plans for the future?  Don’t forget to check the time!