The seeds of possibility...having just completed 75 years of living I am wondering if those seeds have now grown. Are there still seeds or is the work to nourish that which has grown within, with an eye towards nurturing balance and recognition of middot as they arise?
My answer — as I think you might have anticipated — is “Yes!” In other words, there is no contradiction between doing both things you mention, and good reasons to do both: nurture the sprouts that have already taken root, being careful to foster the plants and pluck the weeds; AND, be attentive to the possibility of new seeds that might flourish with some watering and care. My teacher, Rabbi Perr, would often say that as long as we are alive, we have the potential to learn and grow, and that’s what it means to “choose life.”
I think weeding the garden is essential at this age. Only then can you see clearly what needs to be cultivated. There is only so many “energy hours” in a day :)
What was hard about the small things question, James?
The seeds of possibility...having just completed 75 years of living I am wondering if those seeds have now grown. Are there still seeds or is the work to nourish that which has grown within, with an eye towards nurturing balance and recognition of middot as they arise?
My answer — as I think you might have anticipated — is “Yes!” In other words, there is no contradiction between doing both things you mention, and good reasons to do both: nurture the sprouts that have already taken root, being careful to foster the plants and pluck the weeds; AND, be attentive to the possibility of new seeds that might flourish with some watering and care. My teacher, Rabbi Perr, would often say that as long as we are alive, we have the potential to learn and grow, and that’s what it means to “choose life.”
I think weeding the garden is essential at this age. Only then can you see clearly what needs to be cultivated. There is only so many “energy hours” in a day :)
I am doing useful work, that is an easy one. (The small things question was a very hard one.)