Weeding Out Negative Thoughts
Coming from a background of Landscape Architecture and loving to garden I am starting to realize how similar weeding in the garden is to working on your personal development and mindset to overcome negative thoughts and attitudes. If you don’t work on your thoughts negativity can creep in and take over like invasive weeds in the garden. Let’s explore how similar it is to weed the garden and work on your mindset and how you can use this concept to make easy changes.
Weeds- Like weeds growing in a garden, negative thoughts in our mind tend to sprout easily and be hard to get rid of. Weeds are problematic unless you continue to keep up with them, if not tended to they grow out of control and overtake the garden. So it is with your mind and negative thinking, it is far better if you can tackle negative thoughts from the get go and be proactive about them. When a person gets on a negative train of thought it tends to take over
Growth- It is hard for positive things to grow and flourish if negativity has overtaken it. In a garden it is hard for flowers and plants to grow and thrive if weeds have overtake it. They can’t compete with the weeds that have taken over. Similarly if you are dominated by negative thoughts and actions it is hard to break free from those thoughts and cultivate the good, positive thoughts and attitudes.
Beauty-Beauty in the garden comes with a lot of work and cultivation. It comes with being proactive and taking action to keep the weeds out. So it is with our mind. Our minds need a lot of cultivation and work to weed out the negativity and find the positive.
I love these 2 quotes and I wanted to share them because they really help to demonstrate how to weed out the negativity-
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Akos Fintor
marquita herald
Hillary
Holly
Lynn Brown
Nile
Richard Petrillo
Armando Cabba
Christina Maynard
Dan Armor
Hey Angela! I love your blog and this is a great article! It’s so funny, unless we are vigilant with our thoughts – you’re right – the weeds do start taking over – so true – we need to pluck the negative thoughts straight away to stay on top of it!
Kat
Kat Hudson´s last [type] ..Butterfly Profits How to turn your J.O.B in to Online Residual Income
Twitter: WomensWebCoach
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Hi Angela,
thanks for this amazing post. I love the analogy with garddening and pulling out weeds. This analogy makes it also crystal clear that personal development is a lifelong endeavour.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend´s last [type] ..Outsourcing For Network Marketers – A Foundation
Twitter: luckyoliver70
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This parallel of gardening and managing our thoughts is most likely one of my favorites to listen to.
I’m not much of a gardener, yet I find I can relate so easily with what you’re saying.
What I find fascinating is that at the times when I’ve struggled in my business, I can look back and see exactly which thoughts were holding me back at those times.
A derivative of something Zig Ziglar said about Motivation:
People think that [positive thinking] is not worth it because it’s so temporary. So is bathing and we recommend it daily!
Thanks, Angela!
Paul Klaszus´s last [type] ..It’s The CEO’s Fault
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Hi Angela,
This is a wonderful post here. I just love this visual of how the weeds or negative thoughts can indeed affect our progress or healthy growth in our mindset and attitudes.
Thank you for sharing here.
Aloha,
Nelly
Twitter: nellypaekukui
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Hi Angela,
I love this post. Very creative analogies to keeping those negative thoughts from creeping in. It is so important to weed them out! I love your quotes also … as usual, you always have great supporting quotes. That’s why I refer to you as the “Queen of Quotes”.
Wendy
Wendy Hewlett´s last [type] ..Focus of Average People vs Successful People
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I keep on wondering why our minds are so prone to negative thoughts. Perhaps it is our deepest fears that prompts us to think in a negative way. But still, the quote you have shared provides a valuable method to defeat this mentality. The choice will always be our if we allow negativity to weed our thoughts.
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Hey Walter! I am not sure why we are so prone to negative thoughts but they do seem to be prevalent. It really is something that needs constant work and as you say we need to make a choice to not allow negativity to overtake our thoughts. Thanks for your comment!
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Angela,
Love the analogy of gardening to cultivating our minds. How true that the good will not flourish if we allow the weeds (negative thoughts) to over-run our mind. It is a matter of staying on track and watching our words and actions to see if they serve us or hamper our forward movement.
Time to check for weeds!
Val
Val Wilcox´s last [type] ..A Reason- Season- or a Lifetime…
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Hey Val! Yes, we really do need to stay on track and watch our words, thoughts and actions. Thanks for your comment!
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Great thoughts! Negativity is definitely like a weed. I love the quotes!
Kevin Martineau´s last [type] ..What goes around doesnt always come around
Twitter: KevinMartineau
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Thanks Kevin! I am glad you like the quotes, I always love to use good quotes to drive home my point. Thanks for your comment!
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Angela,
Great analogy! Never thought much about how gardening relates to our minds and what we allow or nurture to grow there. We agree… pay attention to what’s “growing” in your mind… it doesn’t take much for something unwanted to start to grow and take over the garden.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
http://TheCoolestCouple.com
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Hey guys! So true, it really does not take much for negative thoughts to start growing and overtaking everything. We always have to be on guard and not let negativity overtake our minds. Thanks for your comment.
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Angela,
Love it, the way you laid it out is great and so true. It kinda reminds me when I first got started with my business and I was told to plant the seed and grow it with positive thinking/action and never let negativity get to it.
Thomas Lierzer
Thomas Lierzer´s last [type] ..The Rocky Theory And How It Relates To Your Life And Business
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Thanks Thomas! You really do need to plant those positive seeds and work to not let the negativity in.
Thanks for your comment!
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Hey Angela,
Negative thoughts really are like those ugly weeds. But like gardening if we keep on top of it regularly, it kinda becomes habit to being positive and growing in a more beautiful, cultivated way.
Thanks for the analogy, I really enjoyed it.
Beth
Beth Hewitt´s last [type] ..Halloween and Successful Internet Marketing
Twitter: bethhewitt80
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
I am glad you enjoyed it Beth! It is like gardening and we do need to keep on top of it and make it a habit to rid our minds of the negative and focus on the positive.
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Hi Angela,
What a beautiful post! I love how we can often find truths in the everyday things that we do. I’d never considered the similarity between weeds and negative thoughts – what a fantastic comparison because you’re so right on. If we allow negative thoughts to grow they take over… Like gardening, a positive mindset takes work if we want to enjoy the beauty of life… Thanks for this – I truly enjoy reading this blog
Dena
Dena-Lynn´s last [type] ..The Story of the Butterfly and You
Twitter: denaly
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Hey Dena-Lynn! Very true that we can often find truths in things we do in daily life. I am grateful that you enjoyed reading this post. Thanks so much for your comment!
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Hi Angela,
Oh my do we need to work on our thoughts! Pull out the weeds from our minds and put them in the fire pit to burn!! Funnily when I weed my garden, I tend to weed my mind at the same time!
I love the second quote specially it’s so true “What we focus on, we empower and enlarge.”
Thank you Angela!
Kind Regards,
Emma
Emma´s last [type] ..Conquering Fear
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Hey Emma! I do the same thing when I weed, I weed my mind at the same time. I like that quote too! Thanks so much for your comment!
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I have chipped away at negative thinking for a long time. I have gotten to the point where I can catch it and turn it around, shift the thought. I love your analogies of the garden., and it is true, what you focus on you will get … very nice article – Happy Holidays!
Lesly Federici´s last [type] ..We All Have It – Let’s Use It
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
That is awesome that you can catch it and turn it around right away. That shows that you are doing a good job keeping on top of it. Happy Holidays to you as well!
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Hi Angela
Thank you for keeping the gardens of the mind alive and active while I was working on other projects.
I love it when others think alike I might not of even talked with until today. It’s amazing how the garden of the universe picks up those seeds we planted months or a year ago and simpler articles and blogs that are far more in depth like yours really take My garden of the mind concept to a whole new inspired level.
Your blog inspires me to keep writing from the heart where the truth of all knowledge lives.
Twitter: Monty Ferbert
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Angela Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
That is cool when you think like someone you have never met. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
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Couldn’t agree more – I’ve recovered from serious illness and can attest to the importance of positive thinking and a “good attitude” when it comes to recovery as well as maintaining health.
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Hi Angela,
I really enjoyed this post. Negativity can spoil your life in so many ways. In 2011 I am working to remove all negativity in my life. There has been some negativity in my life that has prevented my garden to flourish in a few areas. Everything takes work, but I know it will be worth it in the long run.
Thank you for the inspiration.
LeeAnn Townsend´s last [type] ..10 Ways to Increase Your “Likeablility” in 2011…in 30 Seconds or Less!
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I subscribe to the philosophy that We are What We Think About, so a great New Year’s Resolution is to Purge Negativity from your life.
Shari Weiss´s last [type] ..Social Media Resolutions- a Checklist for Newbies
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Hi Angela,
thank you so much for your wise words. Love the quotes.
I have been working with John Assaraf’s book ‘The Answer’ and he explains in there how those old thought habit actually have formed synapses and that we may even get irritable when we start putting new thought habits in place.
Love and Light
from
Yorinda
Yorinda´s last [type] ..Awareness and Conscious Living
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Love your analogy. Here’s an extension: My wife hates dandelions. I come along and say, “They are just nice yellow flowers and you and others are biased against them for no reason. Let them be!”
A bit like those who make other types of rationalizations about the weeds in their own lives.
Richard Goutal´s last [type] ..You Can’t Succeed Alone Collaboration is Not Optional
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Angela, I love the gardening and weeds analogy, and your fresh perspective on it.
Napoleon Hill uses this analogy too, in Think and Grow Rich. He says the subconscious mind is like a garden, and that the negative thoughts (weeds) are the default. They will flourish and completely take over if the positive thoughts (desirable seeds) are not planted and tended carefully and guarded diligently against the intruders.
Willena Flewelling
Twitter: WillenaRose
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Angela
I love your article & the comparison of creating a positive mindset to gardening. I believe one of the best things we can do to ‘keep out negative’ is FOCUS on positive like positive audio, boos, affirmations, & positive visualization…I have found for me when I accentuate the positive then negativity has no room to grow & overtake my life.
Be Blessed
Matt Geib The Great
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What a great analogy! This is a great reminder that we must constantly cultivate the land (land being the metaphor for our minds) and the weeds will not stop our growth. Thank you Angela!
Todd Gragg´s last [type] ..Todd Gragg Interview On Social Media Marketing
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Hi Angela,
Very well written. I love the quotes you inserted at the end. This is something we need to focus on daily. It gets very easy to get caught up in life and forget about what is important.
Steven Schmeltzle´s last [type] ..What Is TribePro And Who The Heck Needs It
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I once have a beautiful garden. cultivated it with love and joy but then after a little time of not watering and taking care of it, weeds took over the place leaving no trace of what was once a beautiful garden. what a nice comparison you have there. There’s no better way to let me understand things but to compare/relate it with things you do in real life. Negative thoughts will never eat you alive if you wont allow it. that simple.
Twitter: afterbreakingup
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Hi Angela, I loved your analogy about the garden. Weeding out those negative thoughts is an on going process. We are like a garden, reaching the point of beauty, but we must never forget that we have to keep on cultivating ourselves.
Our negative thoughts are part of us and if we are aware of this, we can “nip them in the bud” pardon the pun, and turn them around to a positive. Negativity can come from the past, or can be picked up by people around us. I am so glad you wrote this post because this is a stumbling block for so many people.
Many Blessings,
Donna
Donna Merrill´s last [type] ..Develop Your Power – Part 2
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