Watering Seedlings
Today is Earth Day! The time when we honor and rededicate ourselves to caring for our planet. And it is also Spring when farmers and gardeners traditionally plant seeds in our glorious Earth that will grow and ripen in the summer and fall.
But planting seeds is a metaphor for renewal–starting anew or creating something that never was before. And once you plant those seeds, you must water the seedlings and shower them with loving care.
So this is an excellent time to look at your own life and decide what seeds you will plant for your future and the future of the planet, and how you will water, protect and nurture them.
We can each waste our time precious time looking behind at what we did, what was done to us and how we got where we are –continuing to let the past limit us. Or we can stop that indulgent behavior and instead put our energies toward planting positive new seeds that will ripen and enrich our lives in the years to come. So what is it going to be for you? Stunted growth or rampant growth?
Here are some of the areas you can start planting and watering seeds:
- Committing to educational enhancement—returning to school, signing up for re-training programs, attending seminars, going for an advanced degree, subscribing to online courses…
- Committing to professional evolution—evaluate if this is the right career path and if not, begin making plans and taking actions toward something that would bring you greater satisfaction, research new options, look for new opportunities, create your own job and pitch it to a boss or a new company, start your own business, explore improving your resume and interviewing skills…
- Committing to personal growth—buying books or ecourses, getting a coach or mentor, joining a coaching group that meets by phone, securing an accountability buddy, embarking on a self-development program with a spouse or loved one, starting a mastermind group…
- Committing to relationship growth—going to counseling with your spouse or significant other, attending family counseling, carving out more time for your relationship, listening more to your partner, taking a course in couples communication, attending an anger management course, developing strategies to keep the romance alive… If single, joining a singles activity group, signing up for an online dating program …
- Committing to spiritual growth—join a spiritual community in your area, begin a personal spiritual practice of meditation and self-reflection, get a spiritual mentor who will help you find your own path, sign up for a yoga program or other physically-based spiritual practice, read books that can help you understand your relationship to the divine…
- Committing to become a better parent or better caregiver to your aging parents—practice more patience, learn new coping techniques, find new resources that provide assistance, align with others who have the background and experience to offer suggestions, read magazines and books that open your eyes to new ideas…
- Committing to greater self-care and self-love—Getting more exercise, eating better and healthier, pampering yourself, discovering ways to honor and love yourself, working with experts to overcome low-self esteem and self-disregard, practicing affirmations and more conscious self love and acceptance…
- Committing to greater health management– Taking care of all the doctor/dentist appointments and annual screenings you love to delay (mammogram, colonoscopy, etc), getting more exercise, eating better and healthier, finding out what you’re deficient in and taking ALL of your vitamins and supplements everyday, keep looking until you find doctors or practitioners you like, explore alternative healthcare and modalities, rest when you are not well instead of working through it…
- Committing to greater fiscal management—Reduce your credit card load, establish and keep to a budget, rectify your check book or get someone to do it for you, prepare your taxes in advance instead of the last minute, get professional help to resolve fiscal problems before they become legal and IRS problems, negotiate payments with your creditors and keep to that payment schedule, say NO when someone wants to go to the mall (i.e. avoid temptation)…
- Committing to create greater balance in your life—Cutting back on your work time, starting a hobby that you’ve always wanted to try, spending more time at a hobby you love, committing time to be of service in the community, spending more time with family, taking at least one vacation a year and some weekends away, carving out time for reading and relaxing, scheduling exercise time in your calendar so it doesn’t slip away…
- Commitment to the planet—Recycling more—not just paper—but plastics, batteries and other results of man’s production; using less energy and water; finding ways to reduce your carbon footprint; choosing Earth-sensitive products; supporting Earth-conscious corporations and causes; reducing paper waste, including contacting direct marketers to stop sending mailers and catalogues; refusing paper and plastic bags at stores; supporting organic growers; growing your own vegetables and fruits…
These are just some of the possible seeds that you can choose to plant and water in your personal garden. Now is a excellent plan to decide where you want to focus your attention so that your efforts will result in beautiful blooms and ripe results over the next year. So on our wonderful Earth Day, plant your seeds, pour a little water and give those seeds a lot of your love!
May you reap joy, love, prosperity, health and peace of mind when these seeds mature!
