your mind is a garden
Have you ever read the Foxfire books or remember the Foxfire project in the 1970’s? In the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, high school students interviewed folks living in small mountain cabins, free from plumbing and electricity, about their life experiences. Some of the residents were born as early as 1892.
They shared about farming and gardening for a family, which included land management, cottage gardens, medicinal gardens, crop gardens, putting up 800 cans of food as well as drying, salt preserving and more, all to feed 6-8 people for an entire year. All gardening back then was “organic” and “locally sourced” about 100 feet from the kitchen.
What were their secrets? Nurture the soil, save your seeds, put beautiful things in with functional things, and shrewd management! Manage the weeds and the pests, and let sun, water and soil do the rest!
We too are stewards of our own lands - our bodies, minds, and souls - and can create loving and productive environments of beauty, joy, and abundance.
What nourishes our “soil?” Everything that we eat, read, watch, and hear has a result. All that we consume brings us in one of two directions.
“Save your seeds” might be compared to really feeling with your whole body and recording beautiful moments as they happen as well as taking notes, drawing, painting, and journaling on profound experiences.
Thirdly, put beautiful things in with the functional. Ensure that you weave beauty into your work, and work beauty into your life. Leaving things to random chance can lead to random results. Mix things in with intention, and you’ll weave an attractive tapestry with your life.
Finally, management. Take a proactive approach to the weeds and pests of your life. The intrusive, critical thoughts, tendency to sarcasm, yelling at or retreating from tension, as well as the prickly conversations and situations that happen around you can be met head on. See what they have to show you, and take a heart-centered, loving action that will transform and upgrade the situation as well as help you grow and resolve the conditions of your life.
We hope you enjoyed this lovely garden stroll with us. Stay hydrated, enjoy the sun, and cultivate a beautiful inner garden!
Abundant Blessings,
The Encompass Life Team
