Fruit, in the garden of your mind

Stuart was walking his daily walk, minding his business and enjoying the day. At the same time an invisible spirit had been wandering around. The spirit was starving and thirsty, having been wandering in the dry, barren and weary lands of the dark spirit realm.

Being extremely hungry, the spirit looked around seeking someone to feed off of; someone to devour. The spirit saw Stuart. It walked next to Stuart's mind and whispered a thought. “You should have more money.”

Stuart heard the thought. Thinking it to be his own, he asked himself, “Do I need more money?”

The invisible spirit took one step into the doorway of Stuart’s mind. The spirit then whispered, “You have an old car. It might break down soon. You work hard. You need new things. You need more money.”

Still seemingly thinking his own thoughts Stuart pictured in his mind having a new car, and new things. It seemed like a pleasant goal. Then he saw a picture of his current car breaking down. He saw visual imaginations in his mind of problems that could go wrong with his car. He imagined being unable to get to work because of his broken car. And having to pay more money to fix all the problems that would ensue.

These imaginations of possible negative scenarios created fear and worry within Stuart. The invisible spirit watched in anticipation, waiting. Suddenly the fear that was created within Stuart caused a dark colored fruit to bloom in his mind. The spirit, fiercely hungry, saw the dark fruit and rushed to it. It plucked the dark fruit and devoured it.

“More, More! I need more” said the spirit.

At this point Stuart was walking back toward his house. Stuart was married but he and his wife worked opposite hours and they didn’t see each other often. Even when they were both at home together there didn’t seem to be a very strong emotional connection. Not like they used to have in the years prior. Stuart's relationship with his wife wasn’t horrible, but there just didn’t seem to be that same level of intimacy that he deeply wanted.

As Stuart turned the corner, walking the final street toward his house, one of Stuart's female neighbors was outside. She was an attractive woman, and about the same age as Stuart. She always seemed happy and kind, smiling and waving as Stuart walked by.

The spirit, still secretly taking up residency on the outskirts of Stuart's mind, whispered something new. “You need someone who is happy and smiles at you.”

Stuart heard the thought. Thinking it to be his own, he considered. “It would be nice to be with someone who is happy and smiles at me.”

The invisible spirit continued, “You could be more happy if you were with someone who was happy and nice. You aren’t happy. Your wife isn’t happy. You don’t want to waste your life living less happy than you could have been.”

Still seemingly thinking his own thoughts and ideas, Stuart pictured being at home with his wife. He saw mental images of them sitting separately in their chairs and looking at their phones. At these images the spirit interjected, “You don’t have the love and intimacy that you really need. You deserve more.”

Stuart began to feel unsettled. He thought, “I’m not getting the intimacy, attention, affection and love that I really need.” As he thought this it created fear and disappointment within Stuart. The invisible spirit watched in anticipation, waiting. Once again the fear that was created within Stuart caused another dark fruit to bloom in his mind. The spirit, still fiercely hungry, saw the dark fruit and rushed to it. It plucked the dark fruit and devoured it.

That night while Stuart was sleeping he had a dream. In the dream Stuart was taking a walk, much like he had done earlier that day. As Stuart was walking he was met by his dad. Stuart's dad had passed away a few years prior. Seeing his dad in the dream filled him with joy.

Stuart's dad smiled at him and they embraced. His dad then began talking.

“Stuart, you need to know that you are loved. You need to know that you will always have what you need. Sometimes things fall apart, they break. And when those things happen then they can be dealt with. You are always watched over, loved and cared for. Even more so than you can imagine. There is nothing to fear, ever.”

The dream ended, and Stuart woke up not long after. Stuart got out of bed and began walking around his kitchen, preparing his morning coffee.

The invisible spirit, intensely desiring to feed again, whispered a thought. “You need more money. Your car might break down soon. You need someone in your life that makes you happier.”

Stuart heard the familiar thoughts. Pictures and imaginations of these ideas were about to start playing in his mind, until they were suddenly interrupted.

“My father!” Stuart remembered that he had seen his father in a dream. He smiled as he allowed himself to recall the dream and all the joy that he felt.

“What was it that my dad told me?” Within his mind, Stuart replayed the message his dad had spoken to him.

The invisible spirit was furious at this interruption. It interjected the subtle, fearful thoughts once again. Stuart thought about his need for more money; his need for a new car, how it might break down, his need for love, happiness and intimacy in his life.

As Stuart noticed these concerning thoughts he began again to recall the message that his father gave him in the dream. Stuart then began to address the concerning and fearful thoughts.

“I don’t need more money. Maybe someday, but right now I have all that I need. I don’t need a new car. My car might break down someday, but it’s fine right now. I have all that I need. I am loved. I am cared for. I don’t need a new relationship or someone to make me happier. I have what I need. I don’t need to worry about these things. I don’t need to worry about anything.”

At the moment of agreeing with these words a bright illuminating fruit began to bloom in Stuart’s mind. The Invisible spirit squinted his eyes and screeched, as the brightness exposed his dark hiding place. The invisible spirit squirmed and cowered, trying to find a place to hide.

Another invisible spirit suddenly appeared inside of Staurt’s mind. This spirit was calm and tranquil. The calm spirit stood near the bright illuminating fruit that had bloomed. It looked at the cowering spirit, and spoke. “What are you doing inside of here, Fear? I don’t see any fruit in here for your kind.”

The spirit of fear was trembling. It frantically replied, “I’m allowed here, I can feed here. He feeds me and entertains my lies.”

The tranquil spirit looked at the new fruit. He pondered, then strongly declared, “Love is here now, so it’s your time to go. Because as you know, perfect love casts out fear.”