Planting Seeds

I recently turned 44 and at some point in the last year I decided to create an obscure goal for myself to mountain bike 44 times leading up to my birthday and then do a 44 mile mountain bike ride through Pisgah National Forest. There was purpose to the goal. I wanted to spend more time on my bike, become more familiar with some trails, and connect with family/friends in a fun way. I love when a plan comes together and during my bike ride yesterday I started thinking about the seeds that we plant and how we nurture certain ones to grow. It seems like almost every day I have an idea of what I would like to make paintings of or what direction I’d like to take a yoga class. And other things too. But what is the special power of the seeds that actually take root? It makes me think of the statement “you can do anything that you put your mind to.” In a book called Buddha’s Brain , Rick Hanson describes the “mind” as something that contains four elements - 1) the brain 2) the body 3) the individual and their life circumstances and 4) the greater world in which one lives. So really to plant a seed and then put your mind to it really involves a lot! Maybe it explains why some ideas never take hold, they didn’t need to! On the other hand, it’s exciting to think about the unexpected potentials of a seed that takes root.