“Plant the seeds”

“Plant the seeds you want to see blossom in your life.” said my friend Heather in conversation last week, quoting her grandfather. Her story is so inspiring, that I thought I would share it with you this week.

In our teacher training program, we spend a portion of the December weekend reflecting on our desires for the year to come. The great philosopher Krishnamurti coined the term “choiceless awareness” to describe the mind state of being open to our infinite potential. This requires us to quiet the voice of doubt that can put an instant damper on our dreams.

My friend Heather, who took our program three years ago, did just that. On this December weekend, she created a collage that represented her dreams of the future and one of the eye catching images was of a woman with her limbs intertwined with a man’s, clearly enjoying one another’s company.

She declared in that collage that she was ready for the man of her dreams and spent the next few months focusing on her vision of her ideal future and the endless possibilities that existed. Note that it would have been very easy for her to allow the voice of doubt to surface and believe old tapes such as “All the good men are taken” or “Who am I to be asking for this amazing life?” you know the kind of conversation…

Remaining focused and open, Heather applied two yogic principles to the process of turning an un-manifested dream into form in the manifest world. She practiced Brahmacharya, self discipline, to stay focused on her dream and Satya, honesty, by continually assessing and tweaking her vision of her ideal future. Her dedication and belief in the process gained momentum over the next few months.

In the spring, Heather and her sister decided to go on a cruise to the Caribbean and at one of their port visits, they spent the day lounging on the beach. That afternoon, a man from another cruise ship walked by (a gorgeous doctor I might add) and he spontaneously struck up conversation with the two maritime gals.

A month later she joined him in Europe…three years later they are still together AND she’s expecting her first child at the age of 41. Miraculous? Absolutely. That’s what can happen when we get really honest with ourselves about what it is we want in our lives and how exactly we want to live. She planted the seeds she wanted to see blossom in her life, first in her minds eye, then she let go and kept faith in the abundance of the universe to provide.
What seeds are you planting in your life? Are they randomly falling out of your pocket or are you mindfully planting the seeds that will be your future harvest?