Do you think that spring is finally here in Minnesota? Weather has sure been on a roller coaster. Just when you think it’s warm enough to get planting, it turns cold again, and you must wait. No use getting things planted and then having to lose them due to bad weather.

I, Doug, know the impact weather can have on planting because I grew up on a farm in Iowa. Planting was always an important part of the year. But before we could plant, the soil had to be properly prepared to accept the seed that we were planting, typically corn and soybeans. If we didn’t take these necessary steps to prepare the soil for planting, the seeds we planted would have less chance to grow and become a crop to harvest in the fall.

Yes, that’s how it is with plants, but did you know that you’re actually planting something every day, no matter how the weather is doing. The planting we’re referring to is about what you plant in your mind.

Here’s how I first learned about the concept of being careful about what you ‘plant’ in your mind. I was a teenager at the time. My uncle, Jory, was an executive with NBC in Chicago. He was a friend, and colleague, of Earl Nightingale. Nightingale was a famous radio speaker and author. He was known as the “Dean of Personal Development” and one of the most listened-to broadcasters in the country. Nightingale had just made a recording called The Strangest Secret. Jory brought that record with him on a trip back to Iowa. I remember gathering with other family members on a Sunday afternoon as Jory played that record for all of us to hear.

Various versions of Nightingale’s recording, The Strangest Secret, can be heard on YouTube.com. Millions of people have viewed it for the universal truths contained in it. These truths are just as applicable today as when Nightingale recorded it over 60 years ago. We encourage you to listen to it.

In that recording, Nightingale talked about how the mind is like the soil. The soil doesn’t care what you plant, it just returns what you plant. If you plant corn, you’re going to get corn. If you plant nightshade (a poisonous weed), you’ll get poisonous weeds. Likewise, the mind doesn’t care what you ‘plant’ in it, it will always return what you plant.

What you choose to plant in your mind can either produce good thoughts or poisonous thoughts. Plant good ‘seeds’ of joy, happiness, love, faith, hope and caring so that those seeds will grow and blossom in your life. If you plant poisonous weeds, such as anger, bitterness and unforgiveness, they will also grow and negatively affect your life.

The ‘Strangest Secret’ that Nightingale talked about in his recording is, drum roll please, “You become what you think about.” Ponder the powerful impact of that thought on your life. It all starts with the thoughts and words that we choose to plant in our minds.  We are reminded of the following saying by Lao Tzu:

Watch your thoughts, for they become your words.

Watch your words, for they become your actions.

Watch your actions, for they become your habits.

Watch your habits, for they become your character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

We want to sow good seeds – seeds of love, forgiveness, understanding and peace. A good seed can influence positive change. We also need to nurture the good seeds and not neglect them. They need regular “watering” through reinforcing their importance in our mind and in how we live our life.

It’s also important to pluck out any bad seeds – seeds of anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness, that could grow up and smother out the good seeds. Yes, it takes some labor and intention to plant, cultivate, and nurture the good thoughts you want to grow in your life, but it’s worth it.

What about you? What seeds are you planting in the garden of your mind? We all have negative thoughts that can drag us down at times. When that happens, ask yourself, “Will this thought do me any good? If it won’t, pluck it out and plant a positive seed instead. This can help the garden of your mind to produce an abundant harvest of good thoughts. Because, as Nightingale said, “You become what you think about.” As we all plant and nurture good thoughts, we’ll be able to harvest a better life because we cared enough to plant the very best. Happy planting!

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@TheBalanceCenter.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2023 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.