Nurturing the Seeds We Sow in the Soil of Our Subconscious

Nuturing Our Thoughts As Carefully As Gardeners Nuture Their Seeds

What if we considered our thoughts as carefully as Gardeners choose for their seeds?  All of the Gardeners I know, are so thoughtful and choosy about the seeds they sow.  They research seeds, using the internet as well as seed catalogues.  Most Gardeners share information about seeds and plants with each other.  And, they do this every year with patience and diligence!

Seeds need to be chosen for a number of qualities, including soil type, weather patterns, requirements for Sunshine, length of germination, need for moisture and the list goes on.  In other words, Gardeners are very picky and very thorough about the seeds they choose to sow in their gardens!

What if all of us, that would be all Human Beings, began choosing our “thoughts” with the same care and thoughtfulness?  What would happen?  How would we feel?  We know that seeds produce plants that produce vegetables, or fruit, or herbs, or flowers that attract Pollinators.  Do we pay attention to the “fruit” or the product of our thoughts?  What if we did?  

If we paid just a little more attention to the thoughts that we dropped into the “soil of our subconscious mind”, would we find the “fruits and vegetables more palatable?  Most of us know something about how our subconscious works.  To some degree we may be aware of the way our neurons respond to all our thoughts and feelings.  But, are we aware that our thoughts actually have tangible results … ???

Most of us understand that negative or angry thoughts can shift our mood, putting us into “survival mode” and generating chemicals that set us up for “fight or flight or in some cases, a freeze response”.  None of these survival responses are unhealthy in response to an actual threat.  But, given what great imaginations we have, human beings have the capacity to misread situations or misinterpret other people’s words or actions.  As a result, we often begin to generate some prime negative thoughts and feelings in a neutral situation.

Just like planting seeds in a garden, even our random thoughts and feelings may “take root” over time and produce an “unhealthy fruit or vegetable”.  We all have this experience, but we don’t usually connect our more negative thoughts or feelings with the result.

Numerous studies using all kinds of sophisticated technology, have shown that any “negative thought or feeling” can immediately generate “the chemistry of survival”!  The more we repeat those thoughts or feelings, the more deeply they are embedded in our consciousness where they begin to generate more “negative fruits”.

Once we think about thoughts and feelings being similar to seeds, it makes sense.  The good news is that we can do something about this pattern of unconscious thought.  In many spiritual traditions, this practice of carefully choosing our thoughts and feelings is known as “mindfulness”.  Even beginners with this process often feel the benefits sooner than they expect.  The benefits may include better sleep, improved digestion, fewer arguments with family or coworkers, and much less internal tension.

Suggestion:  as a personal scientific experiment, try paying a little more attention to your thoughts and feelings.  Begin by paying attention to those that are more “life-affirming” or choose thoughts less critical of yourself or others.  Then, over a few weeks, check to see how well you are sleeping, or how your digestion is doing.  Everyone’s response to their personal “survival response” is different.  Yours will be unique to you, of course.

Remember, we are not trapped in our thoughts and feelings.  We do have choice about where we put our attention.  So, for a few weeks, try being aware of your thoughts and feelings.  Be very picky about the ones you choose to nurture.  You may be pleasantly surprised with the fruits of your carefully tended garden.