There is a well known proverb that says,

“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.”

Do yourself a favor, read that quote over again and allow your mind to see it as if for the very first time.

Our minds are very clever and make instant decisions about whether something is important to pay attention to and act on. When our minds see something over and again it becomes routine and we glance over it without really paying attention.

What arises is, “yup, I know that one, that’s good advice, been there done that” and the day goes on without actually taking action with it.

Ask yourself, when’s the last time I actually intentionally paid attention to the seeds I plant day to day or moment to moment?

Are you planting seeds of negative thinking, self-judgment, catastrophic thinking, or isolation? Or are you planting seeds of gratitude, laughter, giving, and compassion? This isn’t meant to be Pollyanna; it’s just a very practical way to influence how our minds work.

Basically, what we practice we get. So what are you practicing at home, at work, with friends, and even on vacation? It’s worth taking an inventory.

Some people wait their whole lives before realizing the seeds they’ve planted. You can do this now.

Take a moment reflect on that. Share your thoughts, stories and questions below. Your interaction creates a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.

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Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. is author of The Now Effect, co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Mindfulness Meditations for the Anxious Traveler: Quick Exercises to Calm Your Mind, the Mindful Solutions audio series, and the Mindfulness at Work™ program currently being adopted in multiple multinational corporations. Join The Now Effect Community for free Daily Now Moments, Weekly Updates and tips and free access to a Live Monthly Online Event with Elisha Goldstein, PhD. He is a clinical psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles.

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    Last reviewed: 18 Apr 2011