The Thought That Almost Shut Down Our Flower Stand

For me, there’s nothing better than listening to a podcast while I’m out in the field… sun on my face, a warm breeze rolling through, dirt between my fingers. It’s quiet, uninterrupted, and oddly enough, one of the most productive parts of my day — not just for the farm, but for my mind.

Are you a podcast person?

Lately, I’ve been on a bit of a binge — listening to a podcast that blends mindset, farming, and business. (I mean… basically my three personalities.) And it’s been putting into words something I’ve been circling around for years:

Your thoughts create your feelings… and your feelings drive your actions.

Let me repeat it:
Your thoughts create your feelings … and your feelings drive your actions.

Seems simple.

But once you really see it, you can’t unsee it.

It also made me realize how easy it is to default to negative or pessimistic thinking — and how much that quietly shapes how we show up… not just in our work, but in our interactions with everyone around us.

And then — almost like it was planned — something kind of wild happened.

The other morning, one of my subscribers gifted her subscription to a friend, Cindy. We started chatting, and within seconds I noticed her energy. Bright. Light. Almost… magnetic. (You know those people you meet and immediately feel better just being around them?)

We kept talking and — I’m not even kidding — she teaches and runs seminars on the exact mindset concepts I had just been deep-diving into on these podcasts.

I just sat there thinking… okay, what are the chances?

It felt like one of those quiet nudges. The kind that says: you’re on the right track… keep going.

And I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned not to ignore those.

So the next time you’re feeling negative, down, or (my personal favorite) criticizing yourself, I want you to pause for a second and ask yourself:

• Is this thought actually true… or is it just my default reaction?
• Would I say this to someone I care about?
• What’s another way I could look at this situation?
• What would a more supportive or empowering thought sound like right now?
• And maybe most importantly… how do I want to feel instead?

Because that’s the part we forget.

We think our feelings just happen to us… but more often than not, they’re coming from the story we’re telling ourselves in that moment.

Let me give you a real example from the farm.

When we first opened the flower stand four years ago — like, brand new farm, nobody knew who we were — there was a stretch where sales were… very quiet.

And immediately, my brain went to:
“This isn’t going to work.”
“Nobody knows who we are.”
“We should just stop with the stand.”

And what I’ve learned is — this is actually how our brain is wired. It’s a survival mechanism. It’s trying to protect us by shutting things down before we “waste” more time or energy.

Helpful when you’re outrunning a saber-toothed tiger.

Not so helpful when you’re trying to build something meaningful.

So instead, I caught myself… and shifted it to:

“This is just the beginning — awareness takes time.”
“Of course people don’t know us yet… that’s part of building something new.”
“What can I do today to get this in front of more people?”
“Stay consistent. Let the work compound.”

Same situation.

Completely different energy.

And more importantly — completely different actions followed.

And now?

The stand has become one of the most loved parts of the farm. People stop by week after week, bring their friends, send photos of their bouquets, and make it part of their routine. It’s steady, it’s growing, and it’s something we’re incredibly proud of.

But none of that would have happened if I had listened to that first set of thoughts.

And that’s really the whole point of this.

Not pretending everything is perfect… but choosing thoughts that actually move you forward instead of shutting you down.

Because we get to decide which direction we go next.

And sometimes, that starts with nothing more than catching one small thought… and choosing a better one.