Have you ever considered that life is rather like a garden?
In a garden,
No matter how large or small,
No matter how confined or free,
Its future is determined by the seeds we sow and the plants we raise.
The success of the garden depends on the care we give it.
Some things mature quickly and others more slowly.
If the garden is to sustain us physically,
Mentally and emotionally,
Good planning is essential.
It's important to choose a balanced mixture of plants,
A mixture that can survive despite what nature or mankind throws at it.
A mixture that makes us strong and resilient,
That provides colour and harmony,
That is fragile yet durable.
The garden of our future depends on what we plant today.
The product of what we do or don't do today,
Or what we say or don't say.
Today,
Many of us need to be isolated,
Hemmed in with little to do.
With all this time on our hands,
We have the perfect opportunity to sow and grow seeds that will make us the best in our future.
That is,
Make us brilliant,
Exceptional,
Superb and tremendous,
So that when we eventually emerge from our confinement,
We are flowers that are truly beautiful,
Brighter and more resilient than ever.
All it takes is action.
Action which stands for activity,
Commitment,
Tenacity,
Initiative,
Optimism and nurture.
Mind you,
We've already had great success with planting some of these six action seeds.
We use them when we learn to crawl,
Walk,
Run,
Talk,
Read and write,
Etc.
We've used them to make us who we are today.
Some seeds we chose wisely,
And some less wisely.
There were some seeds we even forgot to plant or neglected to cultivate,
And I'm sure if we're honest,
We know what they are.
Of course,
We could choose to plant couch potato seeds,
But in my experience they're rarely successful and definitely never a winner.
They just become soft,
Soggy,
Boggy,
Compost and rather non-compost mentis.
It's up to us.
We have the choice.
We can live or just exist.
If you're choosing action,
Come with me now and choose.
There are so many action seeds to choose from.
If you haven't already,
Let your eyelids close.
Relax into the surface supporting you.
Allow your breathing to settle into its natural rhythm.
Picture any stress in your body dissolving away and relax.
Drop those shoulders.
Unclench that jaw.
Relax.
Now let's drift.
Drift into that soft,
Dark,
Safe space behind your eyes.
Stand for a moment in its warmth.
Now look into the screen of your mind.
See,
There are six tables in a row.
Spread out on each table are many packets of seeds.
These are the seeds of action.
Step into the screen now and stand in front of the first table.
Focus on its label.
Activity.
Let your mind wander through the paths of activity.
Don't force it.
You may be surprised at the possibilities of activities presented to you.
Select the ones that appeal to you.
Your seeds will be waiting for you at the end.
Now move to the second table and focus on its label.
Commitment.
The strength of your commitment will determine the success of your outcome.
Without conscious thought,
Let a number between one and ten drift into your mind.
Select it.
Time now to move to table three.
Focus on its label.
Tenacity.
Here lies the persistence and steadfastness to see your commitment through.
These seeds will build your courage.
Select as many as you think you'll need.
Let's move to table four.
Again focus on its label.
Initiative.
Let your vision fade from the table and refocus to see yourself taking responsibility for yourself.
See yourself taking that first step.
Leading the way.
Finding solutions.
Select that vision of you before you return to table five.
Focus on the label on table five.
Optimism.
That belief in positive outcomes.
That bright little spark that keeps you moving forwards.
Select it.
One last table.
Table six.
Nurture.
The seeds that feed and protect.
The seeds that support and encourage.
That love.
Select as many as can fill your heart.
Time to drift back now.
But before you step out of the screen of your mind,
Pick up your bag of seeds.
They're all there.
The seeds of action.
Activity,
Commitment,
Tenacity,
Initiative,
Optimism,
And nurture.
Bring them back with you.
Back to this time and place.
Your future starts now.
It's up to you.
All the best.
Stay safe.
