It takes mud for a seed to grow.
Grow toward the light.
It takes mud for a seed to grow.
It takes mud and darkness for a seed to grow.

This morning, I was doing my daily spiritual readings and I stumbled upon something I needed to be reminded of. Seeds need dirt and water (mud) to grow. Mud is messy. It’s not pretty, it gets all over you and, if you let it dry, it can be hard to chip off. But its absolutely necessary for growth. When the seed is in the dark, it’s still getting nurtured by heat, water, soil, minerals, and nutrients. It’s not a pretty place to be, but soon the seed uses those tools to sprout. Soon, the plant is reaching up toward the sunlight. It’s fruitful, with flowers or food. It is fulfilling it’s life’s purpose.

Do you ever feel like the seed under the mud? It’s difficult to see the benefits and pre-growth you are experiencing when you are shrouded in darkness. But it’s there, nourishing you, fortifying you, and helping you sprout to your next challenge.

I’m reminded of when I moved to Carson City. Most people plan a move based on job opportunities, schools, family, or other supportive factors. I moved here under none of those conditions. I was thrown here by the universe, thrust underground compared to my fast-paced lifestyle in Dallas or Los Angeles, to recover, learn, germinate, and sprout. Do I know what’s next? No. Am I grateful for the shift? Absolutely!

I encourage my clients to plan, but I also encourage them to leave space for opportunity to enter. Our finite minds cannot imagine what is possible when we allow room for the infinite to come in and use our right action to create magic in our lives. It’s amazing!

If you are stuck in the dark, I encourage you to try a few exercises in my free workbook. Or, just read something positive to shift you. Understand that the muddy mindset or situation is only a temporary state and you can learn from it to grow toward the light.

Is staring at Facebook negative meditation?

Facebook depression I have a number of spiritual practices I do every morning to start my day off right. I write in my journal. I read a passage in a book of meditations for women. I will occasionally read some tarot cards. These practices make me feel good and, after I say “thank you” for the messages I received, I go about my day. However, today I was hit with an a-ha moment. I realized I have another morning and night practice. I check my Facebook page.

Watching myself for the past week, I realized a significant shift in how I felt after my spiritual practices if I picked up my phone and checked my Facebook page. I realized anything I uncovered through my other positive practices was significantly dulled if not replaced by other feelings. I was sucked into doubt, fear, anxiety, or elation, joy, and motivation—entirely based upon whatever people decided to share that day.

This led me to the question: Is staring at Facebook negative meditation?

If I am spending each morning and night, ritualistically looking at other people’s walls, scanning my news feed, and reviewing my past posts, am I essentially meditating? Am I opening a channel and receiving random messages?

In meditation, we quiet our minds and we open ourselves up to a message. We hope in this practice that the messages we receive will be beneficial to our lives.  I meditate in a number of ways, depending on how I feel. I read a passage and reflect. I listen to music, quiet my mind, and listen for the message. Or, I will just sit on the shores of Lake Tahoe and listen to the sounds of nature.

The issue with Facebook (or any social media site for that matter) is it is a dumping ground for all emotions, all points of view, all reactions, and all personalities. Opening my feed now, I see happy family photos, throwback pictures, updates on personal tragedy, and emotionally-charged political rants. That’s just the first few posts I see in my news feed. It’s funny they call it a news feed because I “feed” off of these emotionally and take action accordingly. I contact friends. I feel happy, sad, hurt, proud, or inspired by what I see. I apply things to my life.

The a-ha moment came when I realized that anything I uncovered through my other practices was significantly dulled if not replaced by other feelings. Today, I have decided to test the assumption that Facebook is negative meditation for me and is a subtraction, rather than an addition, to my routine.

For one week, starting today, I am not going to open Facebook in the morning or at night before I go to bed. I am going to let my spiritual practices stand alone and monitor the effects on my life and business.

I’ll let you know how it goes.