Chapter 57: The Most Fertile Ground There Is
It is time once again to Stew on this! I AM NOT THE WEEDS! I am also not the flowers.
Among the many highlights from our recent adventure in England were the fields that were FULL of dandelions. They were more yellow than green. So cheerful! The fields were magnificent from a distance, and equally so close up. Hillary felt the uncontrollable urge to lie down among the flowers.
Seeing them in this context, it is hard to believe they are generally unwanted and labeled as weeds. Hillary would argue this point vociferously. She not only finds them beautiful; she also uses them medicinally in her herbal concoctions. My personal favorite is her lovely dandelion tonic, though I must admit, the vodka contributes to that opinion.
Weed or flower? It is a matter of perspective, and a green, grassy lawn is not one of our priorities.
Speaking of, the dandelions reminded me of a quote I first heard from Dr. John Demartini: “If you don’t plant flowers in your garden, you’ll be forever pulling weeds.”
For me, this is a powerful reminder to fill my consciousness with that which I want, because otherwise I will be dealing with much of what I do not want. It is a reminder to focus on thoughts and feelings of love, peace, abundance and joy, rather than continually dealing with the “weeds” of fear, angst, lack and despair.
The motivation for me to practice this “gardening” strategy is clear and compelling. My consciousness (and yours) is the most fertile ground there is. Innate Intelligence is always expressing and always creating, so it always behooves me to choose what to “plant” in that fertile ground.
I reap what I sow, so if I want to reap more peace, love, abundance and joy, I have to sow more of that in my consciousness.
This all seems simple, it is just not always so easy, is it? I wish I had a nickel for every time I have planted corn in the garden of my consciousness and wished for apples.
Lately (based on certain factors that I shall perhaps write about in my next chapter), thoughts have been creeping in about how Hillary and I may have outgrown or outlived our usefulness, and how the gifts we have to offer have become “obsolete.”
I have my eye on those thoughts, because they are not the seeds I want to be sowing in my life right now.
This has been yet another reminder that the planting of flowers is a full-time job, at least in my life.
Weeds are always ready to occupy space in my garden. Just as Nature, Innate abhors a vacuum, and creates from whatever is handy. So, when I am not present enough access my heart and plant flowers of love, what is handiest is usually some subconscious emotion or memory.
Apparently, my subconscious still contains quite a few doubts, worries, regrets, and guilts. It still holds on to belief systems that no longer serve, thought patterns based on separation, and ways of dealing with the world that I do not need or want.
When these weeds show up, it helps me to remember that they are not bad or wrong. These patterns and mechanisms have just outlived their usefulness at my current level of awareness and understanding. I do not need to worry about them or try to remove them.
When they invariably show up, I just need to use them as a reminder to plant flowers!
I AM NOT THE WEEDS! I am also not the flowers. I AM the creative Life principle that brings the weeds and the flowers into form. It is my choice which to cultivate!
It is also my choice whether to call something a weed or a flower. Indeed, when I use the weeds as reminders to plant flowers, they automatically become flowers. And the garden automatically becomes more beautiful.
This is all not just gardening lore, New Age bullschmootz or wishful thinking. It is biology. The neuroplasticity of my brain means that regardless of how many weeds I have cultivated in past, my brain will continually rewire to support flowers. The lateral inhibition in nerve system ensures that as I hold flowers center stage in my awareness, the old weedy neural pathways get suppressed.
Cool, huh?
My favorite flowers seeds to plant are of intention, gratitude, love, the highest vision for myself and the world, connection and oneness with Life, and doing and serving what I love, no matter how old (and obsolete) I may be.
I am intending to keep planting flowers and to stay diligent to the weeds creeping back into my garden. I know they will show up. I have watered and fertilized them for years. My friend Tim Wood calls them “loyal soldiers.” So, I intend to remain gentle with myself and, once again, use that moment as an opportunity to plant a flower.
And trust.
When I plant actual flowers, I do not lose sleep worrying about whether they will grow or not. I rely on Nature. I know that given sunlight, water, air and nutrients in reasonably the right balance, they will grow. I do not have to think about it or figure anything out. I trust that the miracle of Life will take care of the rest.
You and I ARE the miracle of Nature, too. Our only job is to plant flowers. Innate will take care of the rest.
I am trusting and confident that this gardening approach will improve my future, and I KNOW that every time I plant a flower it improves my present moment. And when I add up enough flowery present moments, I have a beautiful garden and a beautiful life.
Stew on that, and I will see you next time.
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