The Evergreen Journal #19 — Turn the Page of Seasons – June , 17, 22
Thank you for visiting with me today! I am honored by your presence here on Walking by Inner Vision Blog.
The Evergreen Journal #19 — Turn the Page of Seasons – June 17, 2022
The Evergreen Journal #19 — Turn the Page of Seasons – June 17, 2022
Just four more days until we turn the page of seasons, from Spring to Summer.
In early April, I begin preparing the gardens for summertime. First, I looked over the landscape and checked out the little garden spaces I had created in past years.
This scene always feels overwhelming, like the work is too much, and I won’t be able to manage it. But I have learned that I don’t operate on feelings but decisions and planning goals. When I become aware of those negative, self-defeating feelings, I mentally turn the page in my thoughts to a new page that reminds me of my goals and past gardening successes.
Western Pennsylvania winters are long. As a result, people complain that they think spring will never come.
Yet, eventually, the snow storms subside, and the frigid rain stops. Before we realize it, we have spring flowers blooming.
In April, I gathered the necessary equipment to begin my gardening season.
A handy little green garden tote holds many items I’ll use nearly every day for the next few months.
I went to the shed for supplies stored for the winter months. I opened the door and walked into that little shed. I felt glad that the lights came on and all of the gardening things were safe and ready for another year of work with me.
I picked up the buckets, wheelbarrow, gardening tools, and gardener’s gloves.
I can’t say I love going out to begin the work. Nevertheless, I think it is a lot like going to the gym.
The hard part is getting out of bed, putting on your gym shoes, and walking out the door each morning.
Gardening is like that, too.
The hard part is putting on my gardening shoes, gathering my equipment, and walking over to the first place where I will pull out weeds and dig out volunteer trees that got a great start during the long winter months.
I thought about those long winter months of snow-covered ground. Like a blanket, it covered the earth and nourished the bulbs and roots in the soil, deep beneath the surface. I think about what might be taking place down there and how spectacular it will be when I can see green stems popping up and spring flowers in bloom again. I am thankful I took the days of hard work last fall when I planted all of the new tulip and daffodil bulbs.
Each season we turn the page.
While we are in one season, our minds turn to the next. So good gardeners begin thinking in the distance about what they want to see in the garden in the months ahead.
The gardener’s plans produce the best results with the goals and work done.
In May, I decided what spring plants I wanted to have bloom in my gardens next year.
Page by page, I sifted through the catalogs. Finally, I order tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths for next spring’s blooming season.
By mid-June, I’ve planted the final seeds for summer blooming. Finally, the lilies are just about ready to bloom. The Irises and peonies completed their job for this year, and now, we are all awaiting the first majestic Indian Lilly to bloom.
Everything has a time and place in the garden. We plan where we want each plant to be and have to set goals to get them planted at a specific time for the best results. The actions we take today determine if we will reach our goal.
For more information on setting your goals, I recommend the book Born to Win by Zig Ziglar.
In this book, you will find a list of Six Reasons to Set Goals. (Page 38-39). At the top of this list, Zig wrote,
“Goals bring the future into the present, and that present is the only time we can take action.”
When people talk about turning the page, they want a new beginning or a new start. They will decide to take steps to change things in their life that need to be changed.
My first step in changing my life many years ago was paying attention to how I spent my time. Then, I asked myself what I could change to bring me to a better place.
I determined to read positive motivational books for at least ½ hour a day instead of watching television. So that day, I turned the page and stepped out to begin a new journey. I set that one little goal of improving my thought through reading for only ½ hour a day.
It doesn’t have to be an earth-shaking encounter. It can begin with a little step in the right direction. The key is to be consistent and keep moving in the right direction. That is how I turned the page.
To consider:
What goal have you set for yourself?
Have you written down the steps you need to take to reach that goal?
Put dates with them to keep you on target?
What do you think you could do today to begin moving towards your goal?
Write down what reward you will give yourself when you reach your goal.
And, yes, keep it to yourself!
It was a particular pair of shoes that I promised to give myself to reach my career goal. But, of course, no one knew that but me. And that is what made it so much fun!
Read about it Here.
BONUS:
Read Lynda’s April Newsletter for the SCOOP on what she has been doing for the past three months – Read it NOW.
©Lynda McKinney Lambert. 2022. All rights reserved.