Weeds & Seeds

"The difference between a weed and a flower is a judgment." -Unknown

This was the quote on my cup of dandelion tea recently, and it sparked a whole host of thoughts about weeds and seeds both physically and metaphorically. ​I like to use metaphors in my work as a health coach, and gardening is near and dear to my heart. In the garden, weeds are invasive. They take over. They suck all of the water and nutrients out of the soil, depleting it so that other plants can't grow. The seeds of the weeds often blow into our garden and take root before we even realize it.

For some the dandelion is a weed, and they do everything they can to eliminate them. For others, the dandelion is a powerful medicinal herb. In my vegetable garden, I allow a few dandelions to grow, because I like to add their leaves to my salads. I also try to save some of the roots and leaves for drying and making a tea. Dandelion tea is a powerful detoxing tea. It is known for it's abilities to decrease liver and gallbladder inflammation, increase bile production, stimulate digestion and support the urinary system. It is also a good source of vitamins A, C, D, & B-complex as well as the minerals iron, silicon, magnesium, zinc, manganese & potassium. So what do you think? Is a dandelion a weed or a powerful herb? They have nutritional benefits, and are pretty to look at, but they most certainly can take over and deplete the soil, if not carefully maintained. 

Negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are like weeds in our lives.  They are invasive. They often blow in from somewhere else. As they grow, they deplete us, and suck the life out of us, making it hard for us to flourish. Ideally, we want to pull weeds out when they are young, and their roots are small, but some of our weeds have been around for a long time, and their roots go deep. These weeds may be harder to get rid of, and you may need to pull them several times before they are gone for good. Have patience when they grow back, and commit to weeding them out again. What are some of the "weeds" that you want to pull out of your garden? 

As you think about what weeds you'd like to pull from your garden, ask yourself what weeds you'd like to eliminate for good, and which ones you'd like to keep around in scarce amounts, because you can see they have some benefits or they make you happy in some way, but you don't want them to become invasive and take over your life. An example might be overly critical thoughts. Having critical thoughts all of the time can deplete one's energy, but one critical self thought at the right moment, can be a catalyst to creating a healthy change. Another example might be indulging in a decadent activity. It may be energizing and make you happy, but too much of a good thing over time may throw you into an unhealthy spiral. As you reflect on this, you might ask yourself, "What thoughts or activities are no longer serving me at this time?"

Setting Intentions crowds out weeds:
Setting intentions are one way that we can control what's growing in our thought garden. Intentions are like little seedings. As we plant intentions, we crowd out the weeds, and plant the medicinal herbs that nourish us and help us heal and grow.

Seeding- Our thoughts, feeling and behaviors are like seeds, the more we focus on them, the more we plant and grow. As we go along creating the gardens of our dreams, we want to be aware of what we are planting. When we live a life of intention, we are aware of the thoughts, feelings and behaviors we bring into our lives, and we do so with purpose. Keep reading and I'll give you ideas for setting intentions throughout your day, so that other people's seeds don't blow into your garden, and your old deep rooted weeds don't take over.

Planting your garden- Below you'll find some ideas for areas where you can bring intention into your life, so that you can feel like you are being true to yourself, creating your reality and taking charge of your life again. During the next week, try to bring intention into as many areas of your life as you can. 

Morning Intention- Setting an intention before you get out of bed in the morning is a way to plant seeds for how you'd like the day to go. Some of my favorites are:
"I flow through the day with ease." 
"Troubles roll off of my shoulders for today."
"I choose to be true to myself today."
Eating with intention- As you decide what to eat, set an intention that you choose something that has the nutrients that your body needs today. While you eat, set an intention that the food you eat nourish your body, mind and Spirit, and that anything in the food that isn't good for you, be filtered out by your body's elimination system.
Setting an Intention before starting a task- Think about what it you want to accomplish with this task, and set an intention to help guide you. An example might be, "I am setting an intention to stay on task without getting distracted."
Setting an intention before having a conversation- Before engaging in conversation, especially ones that you anticipate might be challenging in some way, set an intention to help guide you though. Some examples might be, "I will listen with an open heart and mind." and "I will share my thoughts in a caring way."
Setting an intention before going to sleep- Here you can set an intention to sleep peacefully, wake up feeling refreshed, have a happy dream, etc.

You can write your intentions on index cards, sticky notes or put them in your phone as reminders. You can put them in your planner or keep them in a place where you will see them throughout the day. Let me know how setting intentions works for you. I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to share them.