Some time ago, Sofan and I were visiting some friends in the country. We were staying a a beautiful little guest cabin, surrounded by fruit trees, flowers and even a few goats. Painted above the doorway in brightly coloured, flowing letters were the words :

Your mind is a garden,
Your thoughts are the seeds,
You can grow flowers or
You can grow weeds.

Little did we know it at the time, but this little poem was to have a profound affect both on our thought patterns as well as our Artworks.

It started almost as a kind of game. We decided to make a real effort to watch our thoughts and see exactly what it was that we were planting in our own "Mind Gardens". It was difficult at first, but gradually, we began to pay more and more attention to what thoughts were repeatedly flashing across our minds.

How disturbing it was to discover that many of these "seeds" were extremely negative thoughts destined to grow patches of thorny thistles and stinging nettles in our daily lives !

We gradually came to see how so many of the problems and difficulties we were encountering in our lives had their beginnings in the seeds of doubt, fear and anxiety that we were continually planting in our minds.

It does take effort, but like anything else it gets easier with practice, and the amazing thing is, as we became more and more aware of these negative thoughts we are able to say:-

"No! I will NOT plant this weed in the Garden of my Mind ""

I will consciously choose to plant something better. The results are truly spectacular.

When you start to consciously cultivate your own mind garden, you will truly be amazed at the changes which begin to happen in your life. Obstacles disappear, barriers fall away, and things that you once thought were either impossible or very far away will suddenly come into view.

In the christian bible it is written "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." This principle has been understood by wise sages and prophets for many thousands of years. Whatever thought we continually plant into our minds will grow into what we will later experience in our lives.

Any garden is and ongoing process. It's not enough to just plant a single seed of happiness and then forget about it. Your frail little seedling would soon be choked by weeds. It is necessary to continuously pull out and throw away those weeds of fear, doubt and anxiety as soon as they appear.

"Love, happiness and tranquility are all contagious.

People who are continuously planting these seeds in their own minds are also planting them in other people's.

Remember,

Your mind is a Garden
Your Thoughts are the seeds,
You can grow flowers or
You can grow weeds.

So ask youself, what are you going to grow in the glorious garden of your mind?

Fill your life with Love and Happiness

Painter Sofan Chan and Sculptor Rochman Reese have dedicated their lives to creating Artworks which inspire other people to experience more Love, Happiness and Tranquility.

Their website http://www.theartofhappiness.net is filled inspirational paintings and sculptures as well as many free happiness resources such as articles, ecards, free inspirational ebooks and links to more sites realted to happiness.