Tending the Mind Garden
I am a great believer that depression and similar afflictions such as anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder are caused by the way we think, and therefore they can be treated by controlling the way that we think. In fact I have demonstrated this to myself on several occasions, and in particular on one occasion when I was feeling quite morose from some inward thinking until my wife came home from the local gymnasium with symptoms resembling heart problems.
Suddenly, I forgot my perceived problems and dealt with the real problem of getting my wife medical attention as soon as possible. The good news is that medical tests revealed that she did not have any heart problems. It appears that her problem was a reaction to stress and I am convinced that this stress would have been caused by MY depressed inward thinking and outward actions.
This shows how depression, and related problems, has an effect on friends and family as well as the person who suffers from the affliction.
More good news is that since then I have not had any more bouts of depression. When I realized how much my depression was affecting my loved ones, I made a decision to take control of my thoughts. My thinking and values have now been restored to normal.
James Allen, in the early 1900s, wrote several books about self improvement. Amongst them was his classic book entitled “As a Man Thinketh.” Here is an extract that demonstrates that he believed we can, and should, control our character, circumstances, and destiny by controlling our thoughts.
“A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth…
Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits, which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts. By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of his life. He also reveals, within himself, the laws of thought, and understands, with ever-increasing accuracy, how the thought-forces and mind elements operate in shaping his character, circumstances, and destiny.”
This is just a snippet of the many words of wisdom found in this masterpiece that has formed the basis of many modern self improvement teachings. You can learn more and get your own free copy of, “As a Man Thinketh” by clicking here.
We cannot stop various thoughts from continually entering our heads, but we can decide which thoughts we choose to allow to remain there, and those that we wish to weed out. Some speakers I have heard have used the analogy that we may not be able to stop birds from flying over our head, but we can stop them from building a nest on our head.
If you want to change your life for the better, consider changing your thinking!
Improve YOUR thinking! Get your free copy of “As a Man Thinketh” now!





February 1st, 2008 at 5:57 am
[...] Perhaps Shaun should be persuaded to read the articles in the Beat Your Depression blog. There are so many that could provide some assistance and relief for him. A good starting point would be, Tending The Mind Garden. [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 1:50 am
I actually wrote a book on this concept of gardening your thoughts… it’s called Mind Garden: the Natural Religion and is available at http://www.dreamvine.org...
I love what you’ve written, but one thing needs to be clarified perhaps – and that is that to ‘weed’ the Mind Garden, the process is certainly not to consciously try to destroy a thought you no longer desire, but is rather to focus on a thought you would prefer.
If you give any attention to a thought, whether positive or negative, the thought will grow. Trying to pull out a thought, therefore, will actually have the opposite effect!
The Mind Garden is an eco-system with peculiar rules, but strong links to real gardens, particularly that thoughts are living organisms that are only interested in their own survival.
Thanks for writing this article, it’s good to know there are like-minded people out there!
June 24th, 2008 at 4:49 am
Thank you for your comment Benjamin.
I, too, appreciate the fact that there ARE people out there who believe that there are alternatives to some of the contemporary remedies that are thrust upon us by vested interests.
I have just been reading some of Deepak Chopra’s literature and I was pleased to note that arguably the world’s best authority on the practical workings of the mind adds credence to what I have been thinking for some time. It feels great to have my thinking ratified by such a prominent person and encourages me to continue with my quest.
October 29th, 2008 at 4:01 am
[...] I received an email that I believe compliments the information concerning “Tending the Mind Garden” in the free e-book, “As a Man Thinketh”. I am sure that you will agree that the email [...]