One of my favorite ways to promote personal growth is through what I like to call “seeds of change”.
Our thoughts become our reality
It is important to recognize which thoughts we’re feeding. We must make a conscious effort to feed the ones that fuel our fire.
Take time to be still. Go to a place (physically and mentally) where you can relax and reflect. Embrace who you are today and how you can grow into a more authentic version of yourself. Write. Without judgment and doubt, write. Get out of your own way. Even if something feels far off or unreasonable, write it down. The first step is recognizing the desire. We must start somewhere. We must plant the seed in order for it to grow.
I like to plant measurable seeds of change. For example, instead of writing, “drink more water,” I’ll write, “drink at least 100oz of water per day.” Something like “Travel” could be expanded with a specific destination and “love” may be activated with specific acts, such as, “smile at strangers,” or, “give more hugs!” I find that this allows for honesty and a more measurable impact of change and growth upon reflection.
The aesthetic of your seeds of change is completely up to you.
I have written intimate notes to myself with a date in the future to revisit, as well as seeds of change I’ve decorated with colored pencils and hung on my wall to glance at each day. I’ve also written seeds of change letters to myself in a journal that I visit frequently, so that I can be reminded each time I flip through, but can keep more private than a wall decoration. However you do it will be right for you.
I often know intuitively when I need to plant some new seeds or revisit my old ones. I can feel the momentum and I get excited about not only creating the seeds of change, but also making them my reality. They seem to float onto the paper with little thought or effort. These seeds that have been in my heart and mind are now just being nurtured a little further. Some people prefer a more linear approach, writing their seeds of change at the beginning of an era (birthday, New Year, solstice, new moon, etc). Again, you will know what is right for you. Regardless, allow yourself enough time for these seeds to grow. If you do feel like writing a date to revisit them, look at it as more of a reveal than a deadline.
While crashing on a friend’s couch in Colorado, I found an old seed of change I had tucked away in a book I’d finished reading months before. Although I had already revisited this specific note on the date I’d assigned myself, I opened the letter to find the clear intention of visiting the exact friend whose couch I was sitting on. I smiled to myself as I was once again proven the power of my own intention. I had planted that seed while living in Costa Rica, and here I was, not only visiting, but also living with them. Although we may create new seeds of change with new intentions, the previous ones still continue to grow, even if we are not consciously directing specific energy toward them.
Some seeds will die to make room for new ones; but, without the previous ones, we would not reach this next level of growth.
By committing to healthy choices, we reach a more authentic version of ourselves, and we begin to reveal more layers and more seeds that need to be nurtured. Our garden is never done growing, just as the opportunity for personal growth and expansion is always there for us to recognize, embrace, and nourish.
May conditions be ripe and outcomes abundant. Happy planting!
Love,
McKenzie
