By Patrick Robinson

As a boy, like many of you, I was always looking for ways to make money, not because I was poor but because it seemed like that was the thing to do.

That’s what adults did and the pattern was set.

Plus I loved comic books and in the back were ads about how to make money selling things. The one that really got me was the one from American Seeds. “Make money! Get prizes!” And the prizes were things like a transistor radio, or a walkie-talkie set, a sleeping bag with a part that went over your head, an air rifle (bb-gun), and a lot more cool stuff. All I had to do was sell a 50 pack of seeds at 15 cents each. Easy!

I sent away for my pack of seeds and I was so excited when they arrived. Seeds for Zinnias and Petunias and Asters even some vegetable seeds.

So I went to my friend’s parents and of course my Mom and Dad and I really did sell some but after a while, I lost interest and I had a bunch of leftover seeds.

What to do? I recall vividly opening one of the packets and gazing with complete wonder at the very very tiny black seeds inside. How was it possible that something so small could grow into a big plant? I was truly puzzled.

So.. I took a bunch of the remaining seeds and planted them in the side garden next to the door of our house. Our house had doors on the north and south but we didn’t use the southern one much. My mom had red and yellow tulips out there and she would go out often and water them so.. that must have been why about six to eight weeks later we had a profusion of flowers out there. I was amazed!

But it taught me something important.

Everything starts small. Ideas, efforts, projects, even people. To make them grow they must have attention and a place to thrive. The environment that’s right for your ideas and efforts is created by your beliefs and intent. They comprise the fertile ground that allows them to grow larger.

It’s been said that you have to believe it to see it. In my experience that is very true. It’s not see it to believe it. You have to first imagine what it is you want. See it as completely as you can. Shape your intent around that mental image.

My sort of accidental garden was a happy result that’s true, and the seeds bore all the things they needed to get started.

But most things you want to bring into reality, while starting with the seed of interest, need you to believe  they can be more. If your ideas are like seeds, then belief is like the water and the soil. it’s amazing what comes to you out of the world when your belief supports your dream.