Sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming—spring is finally here! It’s the bright, warm season where regrowth and renewal surrounds us, like a flourishing field. How lovely! Maybe it’s time to take a page out of Mother Natures’ book.

If you think of your physical, mental, and emotional health as a spring garden, what does it look like? Is it green and lush, or could it use a little tender loving care? Whether you realize you could de-stress more often, practice compassion, or recharge your workout routine, dust off your hiking boots, dig out your gardening gear, or finally attend those dance classes you signed up for months ago, because spring is the perfect time to renew your health in every way.

To achieve optimal health and fitness, both mentally and physically, we must promise to do ourselves the favor of consistently planting, watering, and nurturing only the most positive seeds that will cause our life’s gardens to bloom and thrive.

Seeds to Plant this Spring:

• Vitality: This attribute relates directly to your physical body. Taking the best care of yourself and consistently making your basic human needs (like eating well, sleeping enough and exercising) a priority will much better equip you to deal with the stresses and challenges of the outside world—not to mention you’ll look and feel as fresh and bright as a spring bloom!

• Confidence: This trait embodies faith in yourself and is most oriented towards your success both personally and professionally. Do all you can to cultivate and grow genuine confidence within yourself that doesn’t depend on any validation other than your own.

• Love: Arguably one of the greatest emotions known to humankind, love has the unparalleled ability to disarm just about any form of negativity. Whether your family, friends, a pet, or the reflection staring back at you in the mirror, try to actively love something each and every day.

• Kindness: Unlike love, kindness doesn’t always come naturally., there may be situations and people that downright infuriate you. However, you’ll not only successfully diffuse a charged situation, but also make your own day happier when you give people a piece of your heart rather than your mind—even those who least deserve it.

• Gratitude: It can be easy to focus on and gripe about the things we don’t have, but have you ever reflected on all the things you do have? Like perpetuates like, so the more you are grateful for the positive things in your life, the more positive things will keep coming your way.

• Passion: Every one of us has a unique purpose for being on this planet. Find out what yours is and channel it every day. Let it be what motivates you and allow it to breathe life into all that you do.

• Curiosity: Always attempt to maintain your sense of childlike wonder. There is so much beauty to behold and so much yet to learn all around us, if we only take a moment to realize it.

• Determination: Life happens and sometimes it doesn’t happen exactly our way. It’s ok to be down, but never count yourself out. Learn to take your hits, dust yourself off, and keep on pressing forward towards your ultimate goal.

• Cheerfulness: Undoubtedly not every situation is good, but being able to find the good in every situation is a rare quality that will not only help you through challenging times but will also attract others to you.

• Flexibility: Promise to never be so set in your ways that you cannot so much as accept that there may be other points of view. Learn to listen. Learn to learn. Learn to grow.

• Contribution: Perhaps the greatest meaning we can draw from life is what we give back to it. Find a tangible way in which who you are, what you say, and what you do brings renewed hope, inspiration, and life to others around you.

Which seeds come naturally to you and which could use more attention? Once you define your areas of strength as well as those that need growth, realize you must direct your thoughts, energy and focus to making these seeds burst into beautiful blooms. Start planting and cultivating only the best seeds in your life’s garden!