Seeds of happiness are possibly the greatest investment we can make. Sowing them ensures good returns, exploits nobody, contributes to better health, slows down the ageing process, reduces stress levels and, oddly in our capitalist and commercial age, costs nothing.
Seeds or weeds?
The truth of the matter is that we are sowing seeds all the time. Actions and words affect those around us. We know that doing or saying the right things at the right time can have a positive, indeed sometimes a healing, effect. It is also surprisingly easy to go the other way and mess things up or put our foot in it. I know – I manage it often. Maybe we don’t think of this as planting seeds. But when we reflect and realise that all we say and everything we do are causes that produce effects, it’s not so difficult to see. Pleasant and helpful words are like seeds that produce beautiful flowers and productive actions are like planting nourishing vegetables or crops. Our thoughtless ones just lead to weeds.
The garden of the mind
The mind is very much like a garden. If we don’t look after it and tend it, it becomes a rampant jungle. Some people are fond of gardens like that but probably their neighbours are not so appreciative. When we begin to look after the mind, we might come across things we would rather not. A rusty old bed frame or bicycle wheel may lie well hidden in the weeds of an untidy garden. As we tidy up the mind, we may find old and useless things there, too. Relics from the past that are waiting to be sent to the recycling yard. With time and care, we can tidy up the clutter of our mind.
Cultivating seeds of happiness
Our words and actions are not autonomous. They result from our thoughts. How the mind is, is the key to everything. That means we have choice in how we respond to what life brings us. The more positive thoughts we have, the brighter the mind becomes. As we make our mood lighter, it becomes more difficult for negativity to take root. Amazingly, that is all we need to do sometimes. And right now in this beautiful but crazy world, it may be one of the most important things we can do.
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