Yesterday, I was overtaken with the worst case of “monkey mind.”  I am sure you all have experienced that on an occasion or two.  Days when your mind just won’t stop chattering and it goes on and on incessantly about things that are of little or no importance.  Actually, it was quite disturbing to me that my mind was in overdrive. So, I forced myself to stop, sat back, close my eyes, and participated in a simple meditation exercise. Breathing.  I focused my entire attention on the simple act of effortless breathing. Every time a thought would try to wedge it’s way in, I would mentally say “I’m breathing” and I would return my complete attention to slowly inhaling, and exhaling, to center myself, and shut out the noise.  It works!  Now, if I could just remind myself to do it sooner. Instead of tolerating the busy-ness of an overactive mind for hours at a time.

I am finding such pleasure and peace in gardening lately. I have planted flower seeds in nearly every available spot possible in my back yard.  It hasn’t even felt like work.  I chop, dig and plant with only the anticipation of gorgeous blooms arriving in my future.  It’s been the best stress relieveing therapy.  Honestly, I can hardly wait for all of my work to pay off.  I am already thinking of all the fresh cut flowers that I can show case on my kitchen table, and share with neighbors, friends, and co-workers.  I think that’s the best way to begin any endeavour…With the end result already firmly planted in your mind.

I am also envisioning what I currently call my “salsa garden.” In my mind, I am already canning my own homemade, garden fresh, salsa.  I really needed the assistence of my husband’s muscle and a tiller to break up the plot of ground that I had designated for this garden. My husband was certainly willing to help, but the tiller played out before turning over the dirt sufficiently.  I was determined to see my dream realized. So, I finished breaking up the ground with a shovel!  No easy task, I assure you, but I wasn’t going to let a broken tiller get in the way of my plans, and I had run out of the patience to wait for someone to help me accomplish my goal.

I am proud to say that my tomato and pepper plants are firmly planted and thriving.  I feel a great sense of accomplishment, and the visions of my salsa garden no longer live just in my head. I’ve got it in the ground!

If there is a moral to this story, it is this…

There’s always more than one way to get a job done. It just depends on how badly you want something to what lengths you will go to accomplish it, and so it is with all our visions, goals, hopes and dreams.