When my children were young, I used a lot of reverse psychology with them. Instead of asking them to do something, I would bet them that they couldn’t do it. Now, this is a ploy that can backfire, but if the kid is stubborn and prone to rebellion, it can produce positive results. How did I figure out that this would work? Because I knew this little beast of a personal quirk from the inside out: tell me I have to do something, and it is the very thing that I do not want to do. Add to this trait the simple fact that it is a lot more fun to take pictures, grub in the dirt, play an MMORPG and write fan fiction than it is to get down to applying elbow grease to writing prosaic, factual articles that someone has requested, and I can work up a pretty good case of rebellion all on my own.

Unfortunately, when you are the grown-up, and the boss, there isn’t really anyone to push back against except yourself — and the bill collectors, of course. I knew the real answer to my rebellious stubbornness before I ever went out to play. I would have to do up my students’ grades, write out next weeks lesson plans and write at least one more new article in addition to rewriting the one I got back. There wasn’t even any point in pouting, declaring it “isn’t fair” or losing my temper with the editor, who was only doing her job.

However, fresh air, sunshine — even though it was filtered by clouds, and some labor that produced immediate feedback in the form of visible improvement to my yard, puts me in a more cheerful frame of mind. To change the world, change yourself. Gardening is a positive attitude adjustment.