![\"\"](\"https:\/\/peggywbarnes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_1545-300x225.jpg\")
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VINES AND THOUGHTS CAN DESTROY<\/strong><\/p>\n Anyone who has read any of my blog posts or heard me speak should know I seriously dislike yard work. \u00a0As a result, what you see is an area in my back yard that should not look like this. \u00a0So, I knew I needed to carve out some time to work on this area and I did just that. \u00a0As usual, I see a lot of analogies with yard work to mind work and this time was no exception.<\/p>\n First of all, what is covering most of the area you see in the first photo is vines. \u00a0Now take a closer look.<\/p>\n The vine\u00a0latches on to walls, cable cords, other bushes, whatever is in its\u00a0path. \u00a0It literally takes over whatever space it can. \u00a0The lies we believe and our personal truths are just like the vines. \u00a0Old thoughts and lies will take over and you will line up everything you hear, say and do with those lies.<\/p>\n I don’t mind bugs, spiders, and cute turtles, but I am seriously not a fan of creepy, crawly things like snakes, lizards or things that can jump out at me, therefore, while I was pulling up the vines, I kept my eyes peeled for critters. \u00a0You would do well to do the same with your mind. \u00a0Be aware of what you are thinking. \u00a0Be on the lookout for the thoughts that are not useful, can be harmful and will keep you paralyzed with fear.<\/p>\n Recently, someone in our area had been bitten by a snake. \u00a0Armed with that information made me even more vigilant in looking out for the slithery beast. \u00a0If I had run into a snake, it would have impeded my progress and taken me off course (as well as caused me to scream, jump around and run for the hills!!) \u00a0We all have those slithery beasts in our minds and in our thoughts; those things that will take us off our path and cause us to stay stagnant and not move forward. \u00a0The thoughts like – you are too stupid, you are not pretty enough, you are not athletic enough, you are too old, you are too young, you didn’t finish college, you are not like her, what if I fail. \u00a0All these thoughts are poisonous and will stop us in our tracks leaving us beaten down, \u00a0frustrated, and disappointed.<\/p>\n Finally, as always, when dealing with unwanted weeds and thoughts, \u00a0I have to kill them at the root. \u00a0I have to get to the source of the nutrients and pull them up from the source or they will continue to grow and spawn. \u00a0Thoughts and weeds are very persistent in their pursuit to flourish. \u00a0I must be the gatekeeper and gardener. \u00a0I decide what comes in, what stays and what goes. \u00a0I decide what “plants” and thoughts I want and what “plants” and thoughts are being destructive and causing harm.<\/p>\n I still genuinely dislike yard work. \u00a0The mind work is a different story. \u00a0I will weed my mind often and embrace it, for this is where so much of my life is lived. \u00a0The mind is the nucleus of my actions, reactions, and results.<\/p>\n Today’s focus: \u00a0replacing the weeds and vines with something beautiful and replacing the negative, unhealthy clamorings with valuable and fruitful thoughts. \u00a0 \u00a0Do you need to do some “yard” work?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" VINES AND THOUGHTS CAN DESTROY Anyone who has read any of my blog posts or heard me speak should know I seriously dislike yard work. \u00a0As a result, what you see is an area in my back yard that should not look like this. \u00a0So, I knew I needed to carve out some time to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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