By Molly Simpson

Gardening and the Laws of Success

Who doesn’t love fresh tomatoes or sweet peas right off the vine? My husband and I have kept a vegetable garden every year for over 25 years. Whether they realize it or not, any committed gardener works with the Law of Perpetual Transmutation. And the same principles that help things grow in the garden also apply to growing success in life.

There are three essential steps every gardener—and every goal-setter—must follow:

1. Choose the variety of seeds based on your desired harvest.

2. Plant in rich soil and nourish regularly.

3. Protect your garden from predators, pests, and decay.

Selecting Good Seeds

One of our favorite family traditions is flipping through seed catalogs or browsing the stands at our local garden center. Ever noticed how many options there are? The seeds themselves don’t hold immediate value. What we’re really buying is the potential they hold—what they might become come harvest time.

Seed envelopes are clearly labeled with photos and descriptions. Still, we always buy more seeds than we can plant. There's only so much space in the garden each year, so some varieties never make it to the soil.

This step may seem simple in gardening, but when it comes to our thought seeds, it gets a little trickier.

Logically, if you want watermelon, you wouldn’t plant eggplant seeds. And yet, many people wonder why their lives don’t bear the fruit they desire, not realizing they’ve been planting and nurturing negative thoughts. Often, those seeds were sown in childhood and have taken deep root without our conscious permission—fed daily by repetition and internal belief.

So, ask yourself: Are the thought-seeds I’m planting aligned with who I want to become? Are they in harmony with my values and goals?
Will they bear fruit that brings you joy?

Thought seeds are limitless. Whether in the garden or in your mind, be intentional: choose good seeds. What will you plant?

Plant Seeds in Nutrient-Rich Soil

This might be the least glamorous step—but it’s one of the most important.

If you plant in clay, your seeds drown. If you plant in sand, they dry up. The soil needs the right balance of nutrients, drainage, and moisture. Neglect leads to decay. Without proper care, even the best seeds won’t survive.

The same is true for our thoughts. Our hearts and minds must be prepared to receive new ideas. New patterns of thinking don’t take root in neglected, fearful, or doubtful soil. They need daily nourishment—faith, belief, and consistent attention.

So ask: Is your inner soil ready? Are you tending your ideas with belief, or are you drowning them in fear or drying them out with doubt?

Stay in a place of expectation. Remember: Whatever we focus on expands, for better or worse. Nourish wisely.

Protect the New Growth

When those first tender green shoots push through the soil, they’re at their most vulnerable. Weeds can choke them. Birds can snatch them. Disease can infect them. It takes vigilance to protect something new and delicate.

Likewise, our new thought patterns need protection.

Well-meaning people may say things that trigger fear or uncertainty. Our own past failures may try to convince us that nothing will change. Apathy, even in small doses, can quietly sabotage what we’re working toward.

Guard your good seeds. Choose which thoughts to water and which to weed out. Your focus is your greatest tool—use it to strengthen what you want to grow.

The harvest will come—by law.

Only you decide whether it yields weeds and thorns, or sweet, abundant fruit. You are the gatekeeper of your mind. You hold the power to demolish or nourish any thought that enters.

And only you can choose which seeds are worthy of growing in your garden.

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•   To discover how to start choosing more effectively now, read The Jackrabbit Factor (FREE!)  
•   If you want more step-by-step guidance on creating the life you really want, join me in the Mindset Mastery program.
•   If you want my help overcoming that giant obstacle right in front of you, learn more and sign up for Genius Bootcamp.