Gardening

Imagine that you selected a spot to plant a garden. You worked the soil, planted

the seeds, and waited for them to sprout. Meanwhile, you started noticing a spot just

across the road, which also looked like a good spot — maybe even a better spot. So you

pulled up your vegetables and went across the street and planted another garder there.

Then you noticed another spot that looked even better. Values are like the spot where

you plant a garden. You can grow some things very quickly, but others require time and

dedication. The question is, “Do you want to live on lettuce, or do you want to live on

something more substantial — potatoes, beets, and the like?” You canʼt find out how

things work in gardens when you have to pull up stakes again and again. Of course, if

you stay in the same spot, youʼll start to notice its imperfections. Maybe the ground isnʼt

quite as level as it looked when you started, or perhaps the water has to be carried for

quite a distance. Some things you plant may seem to take forever to come up. It is at

times like this that your mind will tell you, “You should have planted elsewhere.”

This will probably never work.” “It was stupid of you to think you could grown anything

here” and so on. The choice to garden here allows you to water and weed and hoe,

even when these thoughts and feelings show up.