Planted in Our Minds
How do we take care of our minds?
by Janice Ross
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To consider our minds as gardens, in which things are planted.
Preparation and materials
- Either display the following words or use an online word cloud generator to create a word cloud that includes them: clean, clip, collect, cover, cut out, dig over, divide, feed, harvest, hoe, insulate, mow, plant, prepare, preserve, prune, rake, reduce, shade, sow, stake, treat, water and weed.
- You will also need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Planted in Our Minds) and the means to display them.
Assembly
- Display the list of gardening words or word cloud.
Ask the students to identify what the assembly might be about today.
Point out that all of the words shown are verbs, doing words. This is because lovely gardens don’t just magically appear! For many people, gardening is a hobby, but it always involves a great deal of hard work. - Early summer is a particularly busy time in the garden. Summer bedding plants need planting out and the grass grows quickly, so it needs to be mown regularly. There is pruning to be done and, as the weather warms up, deadheading, watering and - that favourite job of all gardeners - weeding! I can bet that if you have ever offered to help in the garden, that is the job that you will have been given. Weeds have a habit of thriving.
- Ask the students, ‘What is a weed?’
Listen to a range of responses.
There are several possible definitions:
- a wild plant that is growing where it isn’t wanted
- a plant in the wrong place
- a plant that is competitive, persistent and pernicious
No matter which definition we think is the most accurate, we would all agree that weeds are plants whose undesirable qualities outweigh their good points in our eyes. - Ask the students, ‘What are some characteristics of weeds?’
Listen to a range of responses.
Show Slide 1.
Here, we have some dandelions.
Typically, weeds produce large numbers of seeds. The weeds spread rapidly and establish a population.
Show Slide 2.
This is a picture of some chickweed.
Buried weed seeds have an excellent chance of long-term survival. A weed can inhabit various environments.
Show Slide 3.
Here, we can see some ragwort.
Weeds can occupy sites that are disturbed by human activity. Many weeds are poisonous and therefore dangerous, particularly to animals. - Show Slide 4.
Read out the quotation: ‘Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.’ - Ask the following questions.
- Have you ever thought of your mind as a garden, as a place where things grow?
- Have you ever thought of your mind as a place where things are planted and take root?
- Have you ever thought of your mind as a place that needs clipping and pruning, or where things need weeding out?
Pause to allow time for thought.
The quotation suggests that we can’t blame others for not looking after our mind well. It is down to us and our choices. As the proverb says, ‘You reap what you sow.’
Time for reflection
Ask the students, ‘What does the garden of your mind look like?’
Pause to allow time for thought.
Think about the good seeds that are growing and establishing themselves in your mind and heart. These seeds could be things like kindness, love, peace, joy and thoughtfulness.
Ask the students, ‘Are you aware of any weeds that are also growing in your mind?’
Pause to allow time for thought.
These weeds are things that spoil your life and hurt other people. They could be things like unkindness, jealousy, hatred, rudeness and bullying.
Good gardeners have to identify the weed before they know how to treat it.
Prayer
Dear God,
We recognize that, within our minds and hearts, there is often a mixture of good seeds and weeds growing together.
We ask that you help us to nurture the good, and fearlessly root out the bad.
Amen.
