So much of my life is centered on planning and striving. When do I have time just to be? Eckhart Tolle said, “We have forgotten what rocks, plants and animals still know. We have forgotten how to be.” When life throws curve balls, I find my plans thrown into confusion and I realize that without goals and plans for the future, I flounder and lose the zest for living. I don’t know how to balance the needs of making plans and being in the moment. Both, at times, fill me with life giving energy. To sit and meditate and breathe in the goodness of life as it is can be exhilarating. But being still and doing nothing can make my life a stagnant mess. On the other hand, working towards a goal carries me along like a rushing river. But ceaseless doing is exhausting and makes me crazy.

Maybe the answer lies in openness to the spirit. I must listen and pray to know what is appropriate for each moment, to know what brings love into the world.

I guess I had forgotten the word I chose to focus on this year. Now I remember! My word is: Open. That’s what I need.

an untended garden