I have the unique opportunity to experience the gifts of nature by earning my living while out in gardens every day. Many speak about hardships with their work, so I feel extremely lucky to do something that is rewarding both spiritually and financially. It’s easy to feel fulfilled when the world is lavishly arrayed with trees and flowers and every imaginable living thing.

I have learned that one key to being satisfied is to be grateful for everything that is going on around us without a need to control it. Many of us struggle with the concept of ego, a part of ourselves that wishes to describe and then influence situations in our lives so that people, circumstances and events fit better with our expectations. But I have come to think of ego in another way. It is just our mind trying to make sense of Everything Going On. Each time I remember that my true self resides in stillness and yet is available to witness everything going on, it’s possible to look for the gift underneath all the activity.

If we could release our judgments, resentments and criticism, would it be possible to eliminate our feelings of dissatisfaction? We can find contentment by detaching from our worries of good or bad, and right or wrong. We can choose to simply look for something to be grateful for in the midst of whatever we observe right in front of us. At times that may not seem easy, but we can practice by looking for tranquility in nature.  

The sunshine is never doubtful, a breeze does not resist, a butterfly knows no remorse.

A tree has never scolded you for making a mistake. The ocean has never left you feeling unwanted. A flower has never criticized your choices. Every evening, the sunset is beautiful because it is a mirror reflecting your essential being. Nature always accepts you just as you are, that is her gift.

The same divine source that created everything you admire in nature, also created you. This is the essence of who you are. Once you understand this, you will see that nature is a reflection of your own beautiful soul. Cultivating an appreciation for the natural world has quieted my desires. I have found a spiritual sanctuary that is always open and available. There is no charge for admission.

“If you wish to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand.”  Buddha

remember, goodness grows,

Heather