Seeds and Weeds
In the metaphorical garden of our mind, it’s so easy to let our negative thoughts run wild. We are wired for self-preservation, which combined with modern day stressors can create an unhealthy version of ourselves we don’t even recognize.
When we remain unaware of our thoughts and don’t question their truth, those weeds will crowd out the space for the seeds we desire to plant. The things we want to feed and grow in our life sit on the sidelines and sometimes disappear altogether because the environment does not support growth.
Careful pruning of thoughts and beliefs that undermine our well-being is not just an idealistic idea. Science tells us that neurons that ‘fire together, wire together’. Neuroplasticity is real and the mind and body are constantly responding to each other.
On my own path, these thoughts fired together so strongly that the weeds took over and turned my life upside down:
I am weak
I am not safe
I am not enough
I am trapped
I am abnormal
I am a lost cause
Eventually housebound and consumed with fear, my brain had done what brains do: it created well-worn neural pathways keeping me in a vicious cycle of increasing terror. My body responded to my thoughts with severe panic attacks and eventually, total burn out. After all, I was constantly telling it I was in danger from dawn ‘til dusk, so it was working overtime pumping out stress hormones so I could “flee”.
My headspace filled to the brim with weeds, barely allowing room to plant seeds of hope that I so desperately needed in that season. By the grace of God and support from loved ones who held hope for me, I began to gain enough ground to question if these things I was telling myself were 100% true. As I pruned the lies, space opened up and I began planting seeds of Truth that empowered rather than disabled me. The suffering subsided and something much more beautiful had a chance to bloom.
Some of us are biologically wired more anxiously, while others might be socialized in environments that breed fear. Often a combination occurs. These realities must never be dismissed. Yet we must always remember that we can choose to be an effective gardener of our mind and do our part in keeping the environment healthy for our best Self to thrive.
How does the garden of your mind look in this season of your life?