Thoughts can be flowers or weeds; I have to be the gardener

What I’ve Learned Lately (WILL) #4

I’ve realized the amount of excuses I tell myself on a daily basis to try and justify taking the easy path. When I began to notice it I couldn’t stop- it’s an incredibly unnecessary distraction. Whether they provoke positive or negative emotions- they are ultimately lies.

These excuses put me into a spiral of neutrality. I work diligently towards a goal, then coddle myself and say I’ve earned the right to celebrate, the ‘celebration’ then sets me back, and I end up having to work twice as hard just to get back to where I was. It seems okay at times because I’m not spiraling downward, but I’m certainly not spiraling upward either.

So I thought- what if I were to go a day without rationalizing an excuse? What if I were to pay attention to the thoughts as they arise and notice when (whether positive or negative) it is a rationalization to take the easy path? If I noticed each time I attempted to justify taking the easy path and instead continued forward who could I become?

Then what about if I did it for a week? a month?

If the mind is a garden these thoughts are like weeds regardless of what emotion they provoke. If I want to exist inside of a beautiful garden I have to be like a wise gardener who knows the difference between a weed and a flower, and plucks out weeds as they arise. Rather than identifying with my thoughts I’m working on unemotionally observing the workings of my brain while staying focused solely on the destination.

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Much more to come all 2023. Happy New Years!