Weeds and Wildflowers

I am not a gardener. I don’t particularly enjoy digging in the dirt, planting flowers, weeding and all the chores that gardeners do.

Weeding is a task that must be repeated regularly in order to keep them from overtaking the whole garden and choking out the more desirable plants. And where do the weeds come from? You must plant seeds in order for the flowers to bud and grow, but the weeds appear on their own, sprouting from the earth without any provocation.

Flowers require water and pruning to live and grow and thrive. Not those pesky weeds, you can pull them out again and again and they continue to vigorously grow and regenerate, especially when there is an imbalance in the soil.

This makes me think about having a garden in our mind. This garden is also filled with weeds and wildflowers. The weeds are those thoughts that pop up without any warning. We often don’t have to specifically think about creating those types of thoughts. They are usually the negative, judgmental kind. There are also the wildflower thoughts. Those are the positive, healthy thoughts that often require a seed we plant and take a more intentional approach to cultivate and grow.

Those weedy thoughts can overtake our minds and wreak havoc. They often darken our moods and affect our behavior and how we see and treat ourselves and others. The weeds often flourish when there is an imbalance in our soul.

It takes our continued effort to keep those weeds from overtaking the beauty of the wildflower thoughts, those that represent actions and behaviors of kindness, caring, acceptance and compassion.

When our mental garden is filled with more wildflowers than weeds, our lives are often more full of beauty and enriching, our relationships can be more fun and rewarding, and our physical health is often better.

That kind of weeding is worth my effort.