Happy Summer Solstice!

“Are You Planting Seeds of Success?”

I have to admit, Summer is my favorite time of the year.  It is when the sun is warm.   Nature is blooming and growing. The days are long and filled with possibility.  The nights are soft and gentle, and filled with stars.

As a child, I was often sick throughout the year with strep throat.  But the summer months, filled with fresh air, sunshine, healthy foods, and easy days were always healthy months for me.  My childhood days were spent roaming the river bottoms, climbing trees, swimming, riding bikes and having picnics in the park or woods.  I often worked and played alongside my parents and grandparents (who lived next door) in our gardens.  I loved the feeling of being constantly barefoot, and the feel of cool mud squishing between my toes! It was a nurturing, loving and supportive atmosphere.

My grandfather was a master gardener.  There wasn’t anything he couldn’t grow.  In fact, his gardens were noted throughout the area.  There was even a write-up and picture taken (I have to confess it is one of my all-time favorites!) by the Ogden Standard Examiner of me smelling the Calla Lilies he grew.  Looking at that picture, you can see how magnificent they are.  Remember, Utah is a desert climate – and Calla Lilies are indigenous to Mediterranean climates!  How he got them to be almost five feet tall is a testament to his gardening skill and love of Mother Nature.

So what are you growing – literally and figuratively? 

Have you planted fruits and vegetables in a garden at your home or apartment that you’ll be harvesting the rest of the summer and into the fall?  There is nothing like a vine ripened tomato (I have to say, Utah has the BEST tomatoes in the world – they’ve really spoiled me forever.  There’s just something about the soil there that grows some of the most delicious fresh tomatoes in the world!) or a fresh ear of organic corn slathered in butter and Himalayan salt.  Or what about those snap beans cooked up with a bit of chopped, onion freshly pulled from your garden, and a few sprigs of fresh dill?  And my all-time favorite thing ever is freshly shelled green peas – raw!  They’ve even been known to beat out freshly picked raspberries and strawberries – not often, but oh man! – they rank up there with a little slice of heaven in my book!

Speaking of good soil, what I learned from my grandfather was that the soil in your garden has to be prepared in order to grow healthy, organic crops. The process of getting the garden ready, actually started In the fall.  He would often cut in old, rotted hay or straw as mulch, to help hold the water and make the soil more fertile.  By spring, it was all decomposed and had turned into soft soil.

Then in the early spring, he always started with a load of old, aged, organic manure that he cut in to the dirt with a tiller.  He’d spread it and then work it in a few weeks before he’d actually plant.  Tilling the soil and using organic manure helped create aerated soil conditions and the manure gave the soil healthy bacteria and nutrients that the plants loved!  He never did use anything with chemicals or anything that wasn’t completely organic in his gardens.

It is critical to make sure that the growing conditions for anything you are growing are optimal.  You can’t plant seeds in soil that isn’t soft, warm and healthy and expect everything to grow!  And once those seeds are planted, you have to water them with just the right amount of water.  Too much water and the seeds rot in the ground.  Too little water and the seeds either won’t germinate, or the young seedlings simply wither and die.  With just the right amount of water, plants will grow and thrive.

Once the plants begin to grow, it is imperative that any weeds be removed.  Weeds will choke out the vegetables and fruits and will rob them of the proper nutrients, water and sun, so that they die before they can grow properly.  My grandfather was up at 5:00 a.m. every day except Sunday, hoeing and weeding his magnificent gardens.  It was something he relished and it was time, I believe, that he spent communing with Nature, with himself, and with Source.

I believe that our lives are just like physical gardens.  They can be well-tended and bear the fruits of our labors – or they can be neglected and un-worked, and yield little or nothing that we desire.  We could be planting our seeds of success in soil that hasn’t been well-prepared and may not be ready to support the growth and change we desire!

Our dreams and desires are the seeds we are planting.  If we plant our desires in fertile soil and nurture them with focus and attention, watering them with devotion, love,  the belief of success, and taking action when appropriate, they will bear beautiful fruit.

Our sub-conscious beliefs and negative programs represent the soil conditions in which we plant the seeds of our dreams and desires.  If those beliefs are not healthy and nurturing, or if our conscious or sub-conscious programs are not conducive to growing our dreams and desires, it’s like we’ve planted our desires in barren ground that cannot produce the fruits we are intending.

On the other hand, we can prepare the ground by examining our lives, identifying our old stories, and discovering the old beliefs that may not yet support what we desire to create.  We may need to  till the soil by connecting with our Divine Core Centers, spend time in meditation, become absolutely crystal clear about what we want to create, so that our inner gardens will accept the seeds of our desires and we can have optimal “growing conditions.”

Next, we need to clear our old stories, unsupportive beliefs and negative emotions.  They are like the weeds that can potentially choke out our greatest dreams and desires, and will prevent our dreams and desires from taking root and flourishing.

Finally, we need to download the vision of what we desire to create in our lives.  Spend time daily in visualization, creating a healthy, energized atmosphere filled with positive excitement and anticipation for our desires to manifest fully.  As you focus on the seeds you’ve planted, on your greatest dreams and desires, it is important to use as many of our senses as possible.  See yourself in the pictures you are envisioning; feel the feelings of success and accomplishment; hear people and yourself telling you how fabulous you are and how incredible the new experience is; smell what it smells like; imagine the feel of the clothes you will be wearing; the energy of the people who will be around you.  Make it as real as you can make it – and do it every single day!

I would like to invite you to plant your inner garden, if you haven’t already.  It’s never too late!  Consider joining my monthly group membership program.  There you will find an incredible, supportive, nurturing group of people who are also dedicated to creating their dreams and desires in spectacular ways!  It’s a very powerful way to help nurture your inner garden and watch it flourish.

I have to admit, Summer is my favorite time of the year.  It is when the sun is warm.   Nature is blooming and growing. The days are long and filled with possibility.  The nights are soft and gentle, and filled with stars. 

As a child, I was often sick throughout the year with strep throat.  But the summer months, filled with fresh air, sunshine, healthy foods, and easy days were always healthy months for me.  My childhood days were spent roaming the river bottoms, climbing trees, swimming, riding bikes and having picnics in the park or woods.  I often worked and played alongside my parents and grandparents (who lived next door) in our gardens.  I loved the feeling of being constantly barefoot, and the feel of cool mud squishing between my toes! It was a nurturing, loving and supportive atmosphere. 

My grandfather was a master gardener.  There wasn’t anything he couldn’t grow.  In fact, his gardens were noted throughout the area.  There was even a write-up and picture taken (I have to confess it is one of my all-time favorites!) by the Ogden Standard Examiner of me smelling the Calla Lilies he grew.  Looking at that picture, you can see how magnificent they are.  Remember, Utah is a desert climate – and Calla Lilies are indigenous to Mediterranean climates!  How he got them to be almost five feet tall is a testament to his gardening skill and love of Mother Nature.

So what are you growing – literally and figuratively? 

Have you planted fruits and vegetables in a garden at your home or apartment that you’ll be harvesting the rest of the summer and into the fall?  There is nothing like a vine ripened tomato (I have to say, Utah has the BEST tomatoes in the world – they’ve really spoiled me forever.  There’s just something about the soil there that grows some of the most delicious fresh tomatoes in the world!) or a fresh ear of organic corn slathered in butter and Himalayan salt.  Or what about those snap beans cooked up with a bit of chopped, onion freshly pulled from your garden, and a few sprigs of fresh dill?  And my all-time favorite thing ever is freshly shelled green peas – raw!  They’ve even been known to beat out freshly picked raspberries and strawberries – not often, but oh man! – they rank up there with a little slice of heaven in my book! 

Speaking of good soil, what I learned from my grandfather was that the soil in your garden has to be prepared in order to grow healthy, organic crops. The process of getting the garden ready, actually started In the fall.  He would often cut in old, rotted hay or straw as mulch, to help hold the water and make the soil more fertile.  By spring, it was all decomposed and had turned into soft soil. 

Then in the early spring, he always started with a load of old, aged, organic manure that he cut in to the dirt with a tiller.  He’d spread it and then work it in a few weeks before he’d actually plant.  Tilling the soil and using organic manure helped create aerated soil conditions and the manure gave the soil healthy bacteria and nutrients that the plants loved!  He never did use anything with chemicals or anything that wasn’t completely organic in his gardens. 

It is critical to make sure that the growing conditions for anything you are growing are optimal.  You can’t plant seeds in soil that isn’t soft, warm and healthy and expect everything to grow!  And once those seeds are planted, you have to water them with just the right amount of water.  Too much water and the seeds rot in the ground.  Too little water and the seeds either won’t germinate, or the young seedlings simply wither and die.  With just the right amount of water, plants will grow and thrive.

Once the plants begin to grow, it is imperative that any weeds be removed.  Weeds will choke out the vegetables and fruits and will rob them of the proper nutrients, water and sun, so that they die before they can grow properly.  My grandfather was up at 5:00 a.m. every day except Sunday, hoeing and weeding his magnificent gardens.  It was something he relished and it was time, I believe, that he spent communing with Nature, with himself, and with Source.

I believe that our lives are just like physical gardens.  They can be well-tended and bear the fruits of our labors – or they can be neglected and un-worked, and yield little or nothing that we desire.  We could be planting our seeds of success in soil that hasn’t been well-prepared and may not be ready to support the growth and change we desire!

Our dreams and desires are the seeds we are planting.  If we plant our desires in fertile soil and nurture them with focus and attention, watering them with devotion, love,  the belief of success, and taking action when appropriate, they will bear beautiful fruit.

Our sub-conscious beliefs and negative programs represent the soil conditions in which we plant the seeds of our dreams and desires.  If those beliefs are not healthy and nurturing, or if our conscious or sub-conscious programs are not conducive to growing our dreams and desires, it’s like we’ve planted our desires in barren ground that cannot produce the fruits we are intending. 

On the other hand, we can prepare the ground by examining our lives, identifying our old stories, and discovering the old beliefs that may not yet support what we desire to create.  We may need to  till the soil by connecting with our Divine Core Centers, spend time in meditation, become absolutely crystal clear about what we want to create, so that our inner gardens will accept the seeds of our desires and we can have optimal “growing conditions.”

Next, we need to clear our old stories, unsupportive beliefs and negative emotions.  They are like the weeds that can potentially choke out our greatest dreams and desires, and will prevent our dreams and desires from taking root and flourishing. 

Finally, we need to download the vision of what we desire to create in our lives.  Spend time daily in visualization, creating a healthy, energized atmosphere filled with positive excitement and anticipation for our desires to manifest fully.  As you focus on the seeds you’ve planted, on your greatest dreams and desires, it is important to use as many of our senses as possible.  See yourself in the pictures you are envisioning; feel the feelings of success and accomplishment; hear people and yourself telling you how fabulous you are and how incredible the new experience is; smell what it smells like; imagine the feel of the clothes you will be wearing; the energy of the people who will be around you.  Make it as real as you can make it – and do it every single day!

I would like to invite you to plant your inner garden, if you haven’t already.  It’s never too late!  Consider joining my monthly group membership program.  There you will find an incredible, supportive, nurturing group of people who are also dedicated to creating their dreams and desires in spectacular ways!  It’s a very powerful way to help nurture your inner garden and watch it flourish.

Be sure to read:

• Are You Programmed to HAVE to Struggle – Part III
• Freedom. What does that mean to you?
• Creating Mastery In Your Life
• Do You Know What’s Really Shaping Your Reality?
• Where Is Energy Stagnation Impacting Your Life?