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"A seed, dropped into the ground, springs into activity, and in the act of living, produces a hundred more seeds. 

Life, by living, multiplies itself.  It is forever becoming more; it must do so to continue to exist.” ~ Wallace Wattles

As you’ve probably begun to notice, this inner tranquility doesn’t just happen automatically.  You’ve got to show up and put yourself in a place where you can receive the benefits of meditation which lead to restoration and relaxation we all so desperately need and deserve. 

But the BEST part of mindfulness and meditation, is that it leads to a renewing of the person doing the meditation.  It helps us grow and become a more complete individual, capable of contributing to the world around us in big and small ways to help others and make it a better place than it would be if we had never been awakened and become aware and alive.  Sort of like George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life, who gets a chance to see the difference he made in the lives of those he loved, and the community around him.  If you think about it, it’s a pretty amazing thing to be invited into this adventure called “Life”!

I believe that each of us have been given a task, a mission, and journey, if you will, to discover our life purpose, and then pursue it with (everything we’ve got), with our whole being.

I’ve got to believe that this is the reason for our self-inflicted addictions, and for the restlessness of the soul, the emptiness that we try to fill with so many meaningless and even harmful (things).  We have this God-given, universal need to grow and become more, to pursue and obtain Personal Transformation, in order to realize all that we were meant to become for the good of all mankind, and the Earth, and Universe we inhabit.

In his book, The Science of Getting Rich, (don’t let the title fool you), Wallace Wattles declares,

“The object of all life is development…

The purpose of nature is the advancement and development of life.”

The apostle Paul put it another way, when he said,

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Maybe if we can initiate this renewal, and tap into personal development, we will begin to realize the kind of change that leads to growth greater than our boredom, pain, addictions, fears and frustrations.

But where to begin?

Ah, we begin by stilling the mind long enough to Listen. It’s simply called…wait for it… Meditation!

To the Greeks the original meaning for the concept of Meditation meant – “To Cultivate.”

Cultivate: - verb (used with object), cul-ti-vat-ed, cul-ti-vat-ing.

1. to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops; till.

2. to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc.) by labor or attention.

3. to develop or improve by education or training; train; refine: to cultivate a singing voice.

4. to promote the growth or development of (an art, science, etc.); foster.

5. to devote oneself to (an art, science, etc.). Even devoting oneself to personal growth.

If you have ever grown a garden, or even an indoor houseplant, flower or bonsai, you will understand the concept we are talking about.

Growing a living thing requires focused intention and preparation. It requires a bit of time, sweat, and focused energy, consistency & upkeep, especially when it comes to weeding… The entire process is what we might refer to as “work”. But the reward waiting at the end of the harvest yields an abundant crop of desired results. It’s the way of Nature; the way things were designed to work.

I hope this concept helps in our meditation, giving you a visual today, as you picture yourself cultivating your “Garden of Well-being” as I like to think of it. Your Garden of Well-being is filled with things that, when focused on help bring into your life, the qualities that will promote a beautiful Being; qualities like Love and Simplicity, Joy and Tranquility, Beauty and Wonder, Health and Abundance and even Wisdom and Transcendence.

We dig deeper into cultivating this Garden of Well-being in future episodes of MZD, but for today, I’m just going to ask you to plant something.

A few weeks ago after fall had official arrived and we had gotten our first snowfall here in Colorado, I found I wasn’t quite ready to give up the growing season of summer and decided to plant some herbs in a pot inside our breakfast nook window.

It took a little time and attention, ensuring proper sunlight and watering, but before I knew it, little green shoots started sprouting up, showing new signs of life in our home. It was a simple pleasure, with huge ramifications – if you plant it in good soil, and carefully tend to it, it will grow. It’s the way of Nature, doing what it was meant to do. And it’s the same for you and me.

Enjoy today's meditation, and grow!