Copyright (c) 2010 Karin Marcus

It's May! The season of new beginnings! What seeds of change do you want to plant in your heart today? In what directions is your life longing to grow? What harvest do you want to reap in your life two to three months from now? Is it an improved relationship with friend, family member, or co worker? Is it a healthier body or a more compassionate heart? Is there a project that you have been longing to begin or complete? A habit you're ready to shed? Do you need to re-awaken your spiritual being?

How your life unfolds tomorrow depends upon the seeds you sow today. Now is the perfect time to start tending your inner garden. Here's how to get started:

Step One: Take some time to deeply reflect on one internal or external change that would have a significant impact on your life. Take some quiet time to really reflect on this. Do not limit your thinking; reach for the ideal. What do you want to invite into your life? What do you want to create? Who do you want to become?

At this point, you are not looking for the solution, but instead you're searching for the question that is most relevant to your life now. Write an open-ended question that invites what you desire most to become part of your life. For example: How can I find a balance between my personal life, family, and career? How can I nurture and listen to my inner voice of wisdom? How can my life be a bolder expression of my unique and wonderful self?

Step Two: Next you need to create a safe container in which to plant your vision. Every seed contains tremendous possibility but is in itself very small and fragile. Rather than hastily throwing your dream on fallow ground, mindfully place it in fertile soil and fashion a buffer around it that shields it from destructive forces. Your vision needs time in order to take root and an environment conducive to its growth.

An example of such a container is to seek out the company of others who have a similar vision. They may become a mentor if they are further along on their journey, or a fellow traveler if you're both setting out together. Another buffer is to consciously limit your time with people who do not believe in your dream, especially if you find their energy toxic to your goals. Another option is to sign up for a course that will strengthen your abilities and enhance your skills in the direction you want to go. Or you could hire a professional -- such as a life coach or career counselor or a nutritionist -- to help keep you focused and on task. Be creative and enlist the necessary support to give your vision a healthy start.

Step Three: Transform the question you stated in Step One into your quest. Your seedling requires diligent, loving attention. Just as talking to a plant actually encourages its growth, you too have to coax your dream into maturation. It with need to be feed all the essential nutrients and to be freed from the choking weeds that infringe upon it. Be comitted to exposing your vision to the life-giving light of positive energy. Believe in it. Value its potential. Allow it to become.