Not all seeds in your garden are ones you planted.
Your colleague’s offhand comment becomes a loop of self-doubt.
Your parent’s financial fears become your money mindset.
A family’s cynicism slowly colors your worldview.
Social media’s highlight reels subtly reshape your expectations.
We are permeable.
Other people’s thoughts, beliefs, and energies infiltrate our inner landscapes, usually without our awareness.
It feels like “it just happens” but it doesn’t, it’s a little bit of input over the course of time.
This isn’t weakness—it’s human connection.
Three questions worth asking daily:
- Whose voices am I internalizing?
- Which of these seeds align with what I want to grow?
- What boundaries might protect my mental soil?
The most influential people in history weren’t necessarily the loudest—they were those who carefully guarded what they allowed into their minds.
This doesn’t mean isolation. It means intentional exposure.
It’s about being ruthlessly selective about your inputs.
- Curate your media consumption.
- Notice who leaves you energized versus drained.
- Pay attention to which conversations elevate versus deplete.
Your mind is the most fertile soil you’ll ever turn.
And not everyone deserves planting rights.
Choose carefully who you allow to seed your garden, or even see your garden.
Joe DiAndrea 