How Does Your Garden Grow?
What are you planting in your garden of life? Life is like a garden, and what’s growing in our lives is that which we’ve planted. Sure… some of it is weeds we didn’t ask for. But what you focus on grows, so focus on the good and you’ll have more of that.
In this Covid-19 era, now more than ever, we need to focus on what we want rather than obsess over fearful things we don’t want.
Plant the seeds you want to grow and tend them well. The more they grow the less room for weeds. Whether in this garden metaphor or in your life and work… what you focus on is what grows more fully in your life.
“Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t.”
Table of Contents
- What You Focus on Grows
- Crowd Out the Weeds
- Reframing Fuels Your Growth
- You’re the Master Gardener of Your Life
- Reframe the “Weeds” of Stinking Thinking
- Face Your Fears and they Disappear
- Growing the Garden of Your Life
- Wisdom from the Community
Audio Article: What You Focus On Grows
What you focus on, grows.
~Multiple authors
What You Focus on Grows
Your garden grows what you plant. What you plant stands to thrive if you focus on its care. Don’t focus on the weeds you don’t want. Make the good weeds into food and medicine and get rid of the rest.
When it comes to the weeds in your life… those annoyances that detract and get in your way, don’t lament them… just get rid of them. If you can’t get rid of them, learn from them and reframe negatives into positive fuel.
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Reframe the Weeds
Your “weaknesses” (weeds) can actually be strengths when perceived differently. In the garden, weeds are often edible and medicinal. Weeds can also inform us as to the health of our soil. However if our weeds take over, it’s time to replace them with the plants (plans) that we choose.
AFFIRMATION:
“I focus on what I want in life, and that is what I have.“
Dreams Come True with Focus, Planning and Effort
Now notice we’re not saying what you dream about or wish for is what you’ll have. Focus implies steady, persistent concentrated effort over time.
Like a well tended garden, what you focus on is what grows more fully in your garden of life. What you focus on thrives, so be sure you’re focusing on the good that you have and the good that you want, because without a doubt, what you focus on is what will grow in your mind and in your life. It’s simple physics… the law of cause and effect.
“Remember your dreams and fight for them.”
~Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist, author of The Alchemist
Crowd Out the Weeds
To reframe the negatives, ponder the benefits hidden there. Then focus on what you want to grow most.
Whatever is holding you back… whatever your fear, don’t let it stop you. Fear never really disappears completely. It’s just that by focusing on your strengths and what you want to grow, the good crowds out the bad.
Focus on your strengths and your courage will grow stronger than your fear. Your garden will flourish and outgrow the weeds.
“Do that which you fear to do, and the fear will die.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist, poet, 1803-1882
Reframing Fuels Your Growth
When it comes to the metaphor of weeds in the garden, some weeds are actually edible and medicinal, so these too can be useful. Those that aren’t can make good compost. Reframing, fertilizes the garden of your life.
Many weeds nourish the soil and plants of the garden, and some thwart pests. Weeds also teach us about our soil. In this garden metaphor, our weeds (weaknesses) teach us about our strengths, because each strength has a weakness… a flip side of that coin, and vice versa. Each weakness has a strength to be nurtured.
For example, an introvert may be a good writer with a great sense of humor that she normally keeps to herself or shares with a small circle of friends and family. Turn her loose to write and she comes alive with a whimsical wit which weaves wonderfully into whatever she writes.
That “weakness” of not feeling comfortable being an introvert around people, reveals a strength of powerful internal dialogue that can convey very well in the written word. Introverts are often inner extroverts. Ask any writer with their bevy of characters crashing around in their head.
Weeds then… those things that may appear unattractive to the meticulous gardener, also serve their purpose. It’s the same thing with fear. Pull the weeds of fear that get in the way.
Like compost for plants, you can use your fears to fuel your growth.
“We become what we think about most of the time.”
~Earl Nightingale, radio speaker, author, 1921-1989
You’re the Master Gardener of Your Life
If you want to create video content for your art… your brand, but think you’re “not good” on video, you are the meticulous gardener now, criticizing the imperfection of “the weeds”. However, there are other ways to grow your brand and build a tribe, some of which can lead you to creating video more easily by focusing on your strengths first.
There are some areas that you may never wish to develop. Some weak areas (weeds) that simply need to be ignored or even removed. We all have those.
If you’re not interested in developing a particular area, all the better. To ignore it will allow you to focus on what you wish to grow. If it’s a must do or must-be-done kind of thing, such as bookkeeping or marketing or website maintenance, then if you must, do it until you’re able to outsource it.
Don’t Give Up!
However, if — as in the video creation example mentioned — it’s something you want to do but assume you can’t or shouldn’t, don’t give up. Adopt a learner’s mindset and give it a try. Most of us aren’t good at anything the first few times.
You’re the master gardener of your life. You decide what to plant and nurture.
Focus on your strengths… the “plants” you want to grow, and as they grow, the “weeds” of your life will diminish.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com®
Reframe the “Weeds” of Stinking Thinking
Some weeds need to be pulled out by the roots and tossed. The others can be converted into food, medicine, tea and fertilizer. For continuing this garden metaphor, we’re correlating weeds to negative thoughts and “stinking thinking” that you can convert to something better.
? REFRAMING
Stinking Thinking: “I’m not good at that.”
Reframe: “What do I need to do to become better at that?”
Solution: Not