“This is the path we take in cultivating joy: learning not to armor our basic goodness, learning to appreciate what we have.
Most of the time we don’t do this.
Rather than appreciate where we are, we continually struggle to nurture our dissatisfaction.
It’s like trying to get flowers to grow by pouring cement on the garden.”
~ Pema Chodron taken from “The Places That Scare You”
Do you find yourself thinking about the things that aren’t going the way you want and complaining about your circumstances, other people, yourself?
Next time you catch yourself resisting or resenting, imagine that you are pouring cement on your garden.
It’s an incredibly powerful practice to start clearing out the thoughts that poison our own happiness.
We can change this by re-focusing on planting seeds that come from the heart. The seeds of gratitude, appreciation and loving kindness.
Find Your Middle Ground 
I am grateful much of the time, but not always; sometimes I get stuck in moments of resentment. So this lovely quote by Pema Chodron is a perfect and gentle reminder, Val. Thank you. It’s a strong and convincing image: pouring cement on the garden.
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You are ever mindful Val. Thank you!
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Another gem from you Val. Thank you again for the quote of yours for my published story. You can see it here in the ‘Look Inside’:
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Thanks so much Mary Lou 💕
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Gratitude is the best attitude!
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This is a short blog post which contains a life changing idea I think! I’ve been focusing more on appreciating what I have recently, and have noticed how often I focus on the negatives instead. Thanks for the beautiful reminder 🙂
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Thank you Sarah 🙏
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Very effective visual – put away the cement mixer indeed!
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Thanks Eliza 💛
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“clearing out the thoughts that poison our own happiness” – there it is!
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i’m grateful how you
make me feel less
dissatisfied, Val 🙂
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“…we continually struggle to nurture our dissatisfaction.”
While I am not a head heavy kind of person, I have even found myself doing this lately when I sit in contemplation because the day is too hot to garden. It astounds me honestly. Not a usual thing, this nurturing. Yet there it is, to sit with and explore.
I was first introduced to Pema Chodron through a professor at Vermont College. I think I had heard of her or read something by her, and mentioned it to Gail, who said, “Oh, I treasure Pema Chodron, she is so wise.” And since I really admired this prof and still do though she is likely long gone, her words are still deeply grooved in my brain.
Thanks for sharing. 🙏❤️🌈
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Thank You for sharing this Bela 💝
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I am going to work on putting the cement mixer away and keeping it locked in storage. Thanks for the your supportive message.
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Good for you Ali ❣️Throw away the key too 🤗
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