A balanced life is gifted with thinking, an active nature, and an inquisitive mind. All types of events are the ingredients of your being. There is a continuum to learning, starting with a question, then with knowing something, and if you’re lucky, understanding a subject.
This small town is where my mother grew up, work was the ONLY way to make something of yourself. Coming from a family of 8, they struggled. But that tempered her like fine steel.
Amazingly enough, my mother the Scottish mountain flower had many great talents, landscaping being one, but our gardens were always small!!
Growing up in a farming community, you\d think I had a green thumb. But I didn’t learn much until we made some good friends here in Detroit.
Acquiring experience is an act of discomfort. Why? Because you suddenly learn the difference between knowing something and understanding something. Understanding is the end goal so you can incorporate that new skill with a beginner’s mind. A beginner’s mind is the open slate, where you are unfettered.
Getting to that state is rare, but worth pursuing.
So When Called Don’t Hesitate
We need a life of action – taking steps towards a goal, struggling, adapting and overcoming. The idea of plans can lead to paralysis.
Now I have gotten into so much trouble because my motto has been:
“Plan of Attack? I have a plan. Attack!”
When I don’t know something, I want to be put to work. I did that for friends and family so many times, it is a way to combat inertia. Inertia settles in quickly with Severed Conscience, and even just by being lazy.
So naturally I volunteered for my friends, years ago to help with the garden. Little did I know that I would have shovel 20 beds at 25 foot length on a weekend. But here is what I learned when I started working for them.
