21 Quotes about Planting Seeds for Spiritual Growth
“Might I,” quavered Mary, “might I have a bit of earth?” “Earth!” he repeated. “What do you mean?” “To plant seeds in — to make things grow — to see them come alive.” — Frances H. Burnett, The Secret Garden
There's just something about seeing things grow, about seeing them sprout up from seemingly nowhere at all -- it's as close to magic as love is. Pretty close to it, anyway.
I wanted to share these quotes about planting seeds with you today, not because it's the season for it, but because it's *always* the season to sow a little good karma.
You plant seeds every single day, in the world and in others, with every thought you think and word you speak and action you take. You have influence. You're making a dent in the universe and you matter, in a very real way.
These quotes talk about taking personal responsibility for what we do and say. And I think that's something worth talking about.
Just like a garden needs its rain and sunlight and weeding, your relationships need to be tended... by YOU. The things you want to change and improve need commitment... from YOU.
*You* need a certain level of self-awareness to understand your own impact on the world around you. To realize you have power over how you experience your experiences. And to see that you hold the seeds of all sorts of healing in your own hands.
So, here's to the curiosity that keeps wonder alive.
Here's to taking it one day at a time.
Here's to growing more patient in seasons of waiting, and more resilient because of all we've been through.
Here’s to all the things we’d like to watch grow more beautiful this year. And here's to being part of the making of that beauty.
21 Quotes about Planting Seeds for a New Beginning
Sow What You Want to Reap
- “Every leaf that grows will tell you: what you sow will bear fruit, so if you have any sense my friend, don’t plant anything but Love.” — Rumi
- “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our disposition, and not on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other with us in our minds wherever we go.” — Martha Washington
- “Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds.” — William Wordsworth
- “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” — Robert Louis Stevenson
- “Gratitude for the seemingly insignificant — a seed — this plants the giant miracle.” — Ann Voskamp
Tend Your Relationships
- “The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another’s, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.” — Leo Buscaglia
- “You never quite know what you do in life that leaves a seed behind that grows into an oak tree.” — Michael Portillo
- “An ordinary favor we do for someone or any compassionate reaching out may seem to be going nowhere at first, but may be planting a seed we can't see right now. Sometimes we need to just do the best we can and then trust in an unfolding we can't design or ordain.” — Sharon Salzberg
- “We can’t change people, but we can plant seeds that may one day bloom in them.” — Mary Davis
Cultivate Resilience in the Hard Seasons
- “The tiny seed knew that in order to grow it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light.” — Sandra Kring
- “For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.” — Cynthia Occelli
- “Life does not accommodate you; it shatters you. Every seed destroys its container, or else there would be no fruition.” — Florida Scott-Maxwell
- “The seeds of resilience are planted in the way we process the negative events in our lives.” — Sheryl Sandberg
- “When your heart is broken, you plant seeds in the cracks and pray for rain.” — Andrea Gibson
- “Love is the seed of all hope. It is the enticement to trust, to risk, to try, to go on.” — Gloria Gaither
Have Faith in the Process
- “To see things in the seed, that is genius.” — Lao Tzu
- “A good question is never answered. It is not a bolt to be tightened into place but a seed to be planted and to bear more seed toward the hope of greening the landscape of idea.” — John Ciardi
- “Keep planting new seeds until your mind becomes the earth that gives birth to new worlds.” — Curtis Tyrone Jones
- “Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.” — Hamilton, the Musical
- “Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.” — Henry David Thoreau
- “A seed knows how to wait… a seed is alive while it waits.” — Hope Jahren
. . .
Tell me:
Which of these quotes is your favorite right now?
Tell me in the comments. I read every single one, and I’d love to know!
~ Jen
P.S. Want these kinds of posts in your inbox? Sign up for Tuesday emails and you'll also get my Healing Brave Manifesto, totally free.
Comments on this post (15)
He who plants a seed plants a hope.
— Hannah Hackett
Tom, that’s a beautiful line… I’ve never come across that quote before, so maybe it was something he came up with. :)
— Jennifer Williamson
when I was in sixth grade, Canarsie , Brooklyn, my pop was invited to talk to the class, about his profession, engineering.
he ended the talk with the following reflection. I always thought he got it from somewhere, but I cannot find it elsewhere:
“Every thought , every deed is a well planted seed
in this garden of life we call character”.
I wonder if he actually created it himself. can’t ask him now, unfortunately. he died in 2003.
thank you for your website, Ms. Williamson.
— tom fiero
Truly inspirational! Thank you very much.
— Bronwyn Lottering
Thank you for sharing this, Lynn! And for doing such a beautiful thing for so many people. The world is lucky to have you.
— Jennifer Williamson
I fell upon your site quite by accident.I am sending packets of seeds to more than 200 people this year with the the quote that FAITH creates the seed…And LOVE makes it grow. It is the upcoming of the Jewish New Year and I am writing a text using the parable that in the seed we can all help to renew the world. Your insights will inspire me to further my thoughts for renewing the spirit, soul, and mind set. Thank YouTo Life! To Love!
— Lynn
Was, I’m so glad this could inspire you and help you plant your own seeds!
— Jennifer Williamson
I liked “When your heart is broken, you plant seeds in the cracks and pray for rain.” — Andrea Gibson
— Peter
Dear Jen,
With all due respect,
I just want to thank you to the extent of planting a seed right here.
I was almost finished with writing my heart out, with no motive what so ever, but for some reason, I got stuck, for all obvious cases, I turned to the internet and stumbled upon your page and your intro, Voila! You helped me release the heavens in my brains.
— “Might I,” quavered Mary, “might I have a bit of earth?” “Earth!” he repeated. “What do you mean?” “To plant seeds in — to make things grow — to see them come alive.”
— Frances H. Burnett, The Secret Garden.
This worked wonders for lost souls like me, I am happy for stoping by and ending up dropping seeds, I was not aware, could exist.
Gracias & Asante Sana.
-Was
— Waseem
Niolah, I’m so glad these words found you when you needed them! Sending you my love. x
— Jennifer Williamson
A seed knows how to wait. A seed is alive while it waits.
I love this quote as it demonstrates my life currently. It motivates me and helped me to understand the importance of waiting.
Thank you so much. I love reading your quotes.
— Niolah
Galaletsang, thank you so much! I’d certainly love to send you more posts like this in email form :) All you need to do is sign up here: https://healingbrave.com/pages/healing-brave-manifesto
— Jennifer Williamson
Jim, I’m so grateful for all you shared here! And that you loved this collection of quotes, too. One seed at a time. You never know what it will grow into. <3
— Jennifer Williamson
Hello
Hope you well.
Firstly I would like to thank you for devoting your time to write such wonderful quotes and motivating individuals not to give up in life to have faith and hope. Thank you for your warm words you are touching a soul and making a difference everyday, every second ! Keep doing more . God bless you ! And yes I would love to be part of your healing brave quotes receiver!
— Galaletsang Precious
Jen,
I love the picture of you holding a flower. I love all the quotes you’ve gathered.
Martha Washington was very wise. We are in control of our happiness or misery. Misery is such a drag. Happiness is worth striving for. “Gratitude for the seemingly insignificant.”- How quickly things become better when we are grateful. “You never quite know what you do in life that leaves a seed behind that grows into an oak tree.” – Jen. I like your version of similar sentiment; “You never know what part of your story will be part of someone else’s healing.” – Thank you. “Life doesn’t accommodate you; it shatters you.” – So we pick up the pieces and try some more. “A seed knows how to wait…a seed is alive while it waits.” We must give the seeds time and patience and some care. They will bloom eventually.Jen, you have a beautiful collection of quotes and I love referring to your prints. My favorite
quote is yours; “You plant seeds every single day, in the world and in others, with every thought you think and word you speak and action you take. You have influence. You’re making a dent in the universe and you matter, in a really real way.” Thank you love for all you do.
Jim
— A grateful friend,