Planting Seeds

Maybe you’re an artist, maybe not.

But one thing is certain: you’re a maker, a creator, just like any artist.

How do I know that, if I may not know who you are?

It’s simple.

Making and creating is what it means to be human.

All of us, all day long: we create things.

An omelette, an email, a smile on someone’s face.

We create thoughts, conclusions, happiness or sadness in ourselves or others.

To paraphrase a teacher I had long ago when I studied to be a psychiatric nurse:

(He was a terrific man, and andragogist and his favourite was: You can’t not influence).

Paraphrashing: You can’t not be creating.

Even if you’re laying on your bed relaxing, doing nothing whatsoever:

At that moment you’re creating a room where tranquility reigns.

You can’t not create.

Problem is, most of us do it unawares.

Even the artist who is conscious of their creator-nature will have many hours in the day where stuff is getting created, without being aware of it.

The big shift comes when you wake up to this reality of ongoing creation.

When that happens, your days transform, because you can add into your life the notion that at every moment, with each breath, you get to decide what you create.

Not happy with your state?

Create another one!

Money low?

Create opportunities to earn some!

A tiff with your spouse?

Create the happy hormone oxytocin in them by giving them a hug instead of a rebuttal!

You create all day long — now I invite you to start doing it deliberately, with intent and purpose.

See your world change.

Here’s a nice thing to create:

Awareness in other people.

And for that, all you need to do is seed ideas into the other person’s mind.

You’re doing it anyway, with each conversation that you have.

So why not do it deliberately, and plant thought seeds that might take root and blossom for them?

It’s what I do with these emails every day.

Here a seed, there a seed — another thought, another notion.

Don’t worry about the effect — that the other person’s responsibility and progress.

The only thing you can control is planting the seed — whether it grows and how fast is beyond your control.

Just plant the seed.

When coaching people, I do it all the time.

And the best days are those when, sometimes months later, someone chirps:

“I had an idea! I’m going to do XYZ!”

I love it when that happens, even though I’m not getting the credit for giving them the idea in the first place.

I love it, because it means that the idea-seed sprouted and grew all by itself, and the fact that they forgot I planted it there means the client internalised it fully, to the point that it feels as theirs.

And that makes it all the more powerful.

So, go be a gardener.

Plant seeds.

It helps others, and in the end it’s good for business too, if you do it right.

And if you want me to plant more seeds in your mind than just what you get with these dailies, I’ll be your coach.

Bring a fertile mind, would you?

Thanks.

Cheers,

Martin