You Can Still Be Who You Wish You Were

             

I've noticed something quite interesting that happens at my work, each and every shift. (For those of you who don't know I work at a behavioral hospital) At the beginning of my shift, we go through something called "shift report" where the off-going nurse sits down and gives us an update on all the patients that have been on the unit that day. The nurse will vent her frustrations with certain patients who have been extra difficult or demanding and give other relevant information for us to know. Something unique for me though, was on one occasion, I specifically remember how the previous nurse had labeled this patient as sometimes being "manipulative". When I began to go about my shift this patient approached me and gave me a valid request, I fulfilled but I remembered reacting to it negatively inside myself, this women's perception...had become my perception. Even though this patient had done nothing for me to call them "manipulative", I already felt they were pushing my "limits" so to say.

           The reason why I bring this story up is because I've been reading a book lately titled "As a Man Thinketh" (good short little read) and it focuses on how we are the product of our thoughts. The book title is referring to the scripture which states Proverbs 23:7 "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." What truth there is to that statement! The core of what makes us..us..is our thoughts. Thoughts mold into habit...thoughts manifest themselves in our actions....thoughts mold into our character...our character is ultimately who we REALLY are. I love the realization I've come to just by monitoring my thoughts and the effect it has upon my mood, negative feelings certainly only follow negative thoughts and vice versa. 

              "A man's mind may be likened to a garden which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must and will, bring forth." - ("As a Man Thinketh") Our thoughts each day that we choose to dwell upon are the seeds, when we reinforce those thoughts through continued validation and rumination, those seeds break forth and grow into plants, which eventually are the garden of ideas and core values that make up our mind and soul. Are the plants inside our garden Thankfulness, Opportunity, Optimism, Light, Goodwill or are they Discontent, Problems, Pessimism, and Darkness? Everyday, whether we realize it or not, we are tending to our gardens, which plants or ideas are we watering?...which seeds or thoughts are we planting?...

            We can shape our circumstance through our thoughts. We can shape our environments through our thoughts and change it. You can still be who you wish you were, all it takes is the right gardening. I'm committed to prune and beautify my garden, for that is what God wishes us to do. Our minds are in our control, as well as our happiness. The Grass is Greener where you water it. Finally Awake.