I went for a Harley ride today to clear my head and sharpen my mind.

As I rode, a quick thought passed through my consciousness. A wise rider was quoted as having said, “As a chef, I’m artistic because I create. As a motorcyclist, I find the peace of mind to create.”

The principle is a sound one, and it doesn’t have to be a motorcycle that helps you create. The joy derived from doing something you really love inspires creativity.

I know a Vietnam vet who was raised in the barrio. He had his share of gang fights and jail time. Since returning from Vietnam, he has continued to suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome, which he tries to suppress with alcohol and other soft drugs. He hated to admit it that he was angry and guilty all the time.

When he shared with me the circumstances that created his post-traumatic stress syndrome, I understood why he felt as he did.

But Please Don’t Tell Anyone

I asked what he really wanted to do that would make him relaxed and happy. “Gardening,” he said.

He knew if his barrio buddies saw him gardening, they would ridicule him.

“Why not buy a pot, some soil and some seeds, plant the seeds in the soil, water them, see what happens, and go from there?” I suggested.

To his surprise, he did. He planted, watered and nurtured the seeds until flowers finally appeared. His enthusiasm soared. He bought another pot, planted another seed with similar results.

Next, he purchased a windowsill-sized flowerbed, which he initially kept inside so it would not to be seen by his friends, and, planted more seeds.

His early gardening successes created strong feelings of prosperity. He was running out of time and desire to use drugs and alcohol.

He was sleeping better. To his surprise, repercussions from post-traumatic stress syndrome began disappearing.

Happier than he had been in years, his passion for gardening began to outweigh his concern for what others thought of him.

He moved his plants outside and began to plant more. He created a small garden that became his garden of tranquility.

Listen to Those Other Sounds

Not tranquility in the way you and I understand serenity, though. Noises were all around, the sound of traffic in the distance, a bird, perhaps a dog barking, or a blend of soft voices, a distant television, the everyday hum of city life.

Encased within these sounds was a key, one point where he began to visualize what it would take for him to become truly successful.

He understood that it all comes from within. Even though the family financial condition was unchanged, his own attitude had changed dramatically.

These discoveries grew within him as he learned to focus and visualize what he wanted to do. ,

“I put on my big hat,” he told me, “I take a beer with me and go out into my yard and start to get my hands dirty.

“I have my hands in the soil. Then a sense of doing takes a hold. As I water, I am giving one of the basics of life. I realize these plants are dependent upon me.

“I grew them from seeds. I helped them to grow roots, to take a firm hold. I watch them bloom and produce a seemingly endless variety of colors.

“Seeing the results of what the seeds, the soil and the water combined were able to create,” he said, “gives me a strong sense of accomplishment. I have not enjoyed that feeling in a long while. “

There you have it.

A clinical hypnotherapist, handwriting analyst and expert master hypnotist, Nicholas Pollak may be contacted at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net