the garden model
in my latest nerding and intellectual intake, i have been frequenting the Huberman Lab podcast by Dr. Andrew Huberman. i wish there was a usb drive that plugged right into my brain that could download all the wisdom Dr. Huberman has, but that’s an aside…
recently he did a long-form interview series with Dr. Paul Conti that touched on many aspects of mental health and mindset, to which i could do zero justice to with a review so i won’t attempt. the listens are massive value-adds, so go for them yourself.
with that disclaimer said, one main thread that was repeatedly touched on highlighted Dr. Conti’s Pillars of Mental Health. and i am a sucker for frameworks and conceptualizing, so i’ve been swimming in that for weeks - specifically the top of his pyramid.
according to Dr. Conti, in order to reach the pinnacle of peace, contentment, and delight, two ingredients are necessary: gratitude and agency. of course, the framework breaks these down further and how to achieve. but i have loved the simplicity of sitting with these two pillars, one in each hand, and watching it connect with different pieces of faith and scripture.
these two for me have evolved.
i have found myself thinking along recurring threads of groundedness and participation in my life lately.
feeling the Lord remind me of what i am grounded in, present and rooted in my now. then inviting me to participate in what he uniquely has for me.
and for those keeping score at home: groundedness involves a lot of gratitude, and participation feels like agency.
and to go further….or maybe backwards….these two pillars with garden of eden themes sprouting up, have turned into: rest and reign.
from the beginning we were created to rest in God’s completion and presence, walk in the garden in the cool of the day, and reign with him over his creation.
resting in who i am created to be.
grounded in my roots.
then ruling over my domain - participating in what God is up to.
and if your brain is happy-vibrating like mine is with this - i’ll add one more.
Dr. Conti describes different drives we all have as humans and identifying layers of our mental state and their affects on our drives. and a healthy mental state is characterized by a high generative drive.
hello what.
generative drive. created by a creator. of course.
and i think there is an order of operations to a healthy, generative drive.
grounding first. participating second.
resting first. reigning second.
identity, then creation.
encouraged, then empowered.
faith, then works.
peace, contentment, and delight.
garden of eden.
for further exploration into the conversations referenced and actual neuroscience and psychology principles (as opposed to my musings), check out Huberman Lab podcast:
then contact me, because if you are the kind of person who enjoys listening to these long form deep dives, we should be friends.