I am sure you have heard the saying “bloom where you’re planted” – and it is a GREAT thought. However, when it comes to reality…it can be really hard to do. I love to use the analogy of a plant and how when it gets enough water, enough light, enough care…it blooms. Now, on the flip side, it could be the sister seed to a plant but if that seed is in poor weather, not getting watered and in a bad environment…it doesn’t grow, it likely withers.

I get emotional thinking about that because I think of children who don’t decide how they grow up, and they get dealt the “poor conditions” card in life, making it a lot more difficult to thrive. This is where the word ADVERSITY really applies because you will in some shape or form face adversity, but the question is “how will you overcome it?”

That is the question I want to focus on and hopefully provide some perspective on. Now, keeping the plant example in mind, I want to evolve into a new scenario – stick with me here. Think about the scenario of siblings who have the same parents, but turn out very differently. Let’s say Kid A is a 4.0 student, has deep relationships with family & friends, volunteers on weekends and works full time and then we have Kid B who fails every class, gets into fights and “cancels” their friendships and quits every job after a few months. Same parents, same family events, for the most part a very similar upbringing…but something is different. What is it?

I believe it is mindset. I believe that more than our physical environment can impact us, our mental environment does even more. This is what I want to dive into because the good news is that regardless if you relate more to Kid A or Kid B, you have the power to decide how you decorate your mindset.

Ah the examples, decorating…lets dive in deeper to further explain this concept. Kid A “mindset room” is decorated with warm tones, photos of fun memories with family & friends and scriptures on the walls that remind them of who GOD made them. They have a trash can in the corner filled with shredded post it notes that read negative things that have been said about them. Kid B “mindset room” is painted with dark tones and filled with posters of pop culture TV shows, Instagram pictures of how others are living their life and framed post it notes of of the negative things that have been said to them/about them and a bottom drawer with a bible in it.

This example paints the picture that Kid A has chosen to live in a “mindset room” that reminds them of who God is, and who God created them to be – regardless of what they experienced in life, what others have said, or even what mistakes they have made in the past. They have made their reality focused on GOOD and goodness flows. Kid B has chosen to live in a “mindset room” that clutters their mind with the world values, comparison and focus on the negatives they have experienced…they have access to the goodness of scriptures, but they don’t open that bottom drawer. They have created their reality as well, but theirs is one that is focused on the things that keep them in a victim mentality (instead of an empowered victorious through Christ mentality), preventing them from experiencing the goodness that life has to offer.

So my question today is, do you need to redecorate your “mindset room”? Do you need to take down those posters? Stop framing Instagram photos of what other people are doing? Throw away those framed negative post-it notes? Instead, you may want to frame your fun photo memories with family & friends and take that bible out from the bottom drawer?

Wherever you are, whatever you’re going through…I hope you truly take a moment to evaluate your current “mindset room” and take inventory of what is serving you and what is holding you back. If I am honest, the past month I have had a few negative post-it notes framed that need to be not just taken down but replaced with scriptures. I hope that whatever negative things you have framed, that you feel empowered through the Holy Spirit to replace them with reminders of God’s promises.

THIS is the key to bloom anywhere, your mindset room.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for this new day. Thank you for your new mercy & grace over my life. Forgive me of my sins, forgive me of focusing on the wrong things and help me to shift my focus back to you. Help me see the goodness of your promises. Help me see the goodness of my relationships. Help me focus on how I can improve in my relationships and my behaviors instead of focusing on those around me. You have the power to change the energy when you walk into the room, I pray you walk into my mindset room and shift the energy – may all the chains that held me back from experiencing the abundant life you’ve promised, be shattered and thrown away. May your spirit take over & empower my mindset room and overflow into my life. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice. Thank you for saving me, guiding me, helping me, and loving me with the most pure love. Amen.