Accepting the now

Waiting for the wildflowers to grow

As the earth softens under the mild temperament of March, preparations are underway for summer. Grass has been churned up on the park and outside of our flat ready for the seeds of wildflowers to be sown. Work has been put in now for the rewards to be reaped later. Can you still appreciate the present when focusing on the future?

I finished reading Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth a few weeks ago and it makes for good context here. He details three modalities of awakened doing, acceptance, enjoyment, and enthusiasm, that encompass how you might approach tasks in life. Acceptance is about releasing all resistance against completing a task, allowing you to maintain awakened consciousness in the here and now. In the book, Tolle states that while many of our tasks might be considered monotonous or tiring this should not deter us. For example, I may not find enjoyment or enthusiasm in brushing my teeth, but I accept the necessity of the task. I understand the reasons and need for it, and therefore I am at peace with the action of it.

Putting in plans for the future can be a tricky one to navigate. It’s hard to balance forward-thinking with making the most of life in the present. It’s one of my pitfalls. Imagining a future where everything magically aligns, making the present pale in comparison. I suppose what’s vital to ensure engagement with the present is the requirement of taking action. Rather than allowing the mind to swirl with potential possibilities believing the grass is greener tomorrow, next week or in years to come, there must be acceptance, and a degree of engagement, with the task at hand. Doing nothing and allowing yourself to be haunted by an idealised future is what denies you the opportunity to live in a fully conscious state.

And what of the other modalities, enjoyment and enthusiasm? Hopefully, an element of both was found in the process of churning up the grass and wasn’t reserved purely for the future enjoyment of the wildflowers. Was the smell of the soil satisfying? The feeling of dirt in their hands reminiscent of childhood play? This is awakened doing.

I am so looking forward to summer, I simply cannot deny it. I feel guilty about wishing time away and forgetting to appreciate the present. I don’t want to be idle, waiting for the wildflowers to grow. At the very least, I’m hoping to embrace the in-between with acceptance and find joy in everyday tasks.

Photo by Townsend Walton on Unsplash

Acceptance by Ruth Irwin

Acceptance is a small, quiet room,
its ceiling the blue of a still, summer sky.
For years I thought the door was locked -
I was too scared even to try the

handle. The first few attempts, it
jammed. I’d jiggle it up and down.
When I finally forced it open,
walls were waves, eager to drown.

So I ran - but oiled the hinges,
occasionally peeking round.
Later, I’d creep in and listen to that ocean groaning loud,

until slowly, so slowly, the hurricane
eased to a breeze:
the storm clouds gave way to horizon,
and my body began to unfreeze.

---

I won’t stop showing up, but I can’t guarantee I’ll always be on time. Or on the right day. The Offcuts has more frequently begun to be sent on a Monday instead of Sunday and here I am publishing a newsletter on Friday instead of Thursday. I would hate for anyone to call me predictable. Drafting is an open-arms welcoming space without the rigidity of rules and other limiting factors. But I want to maintain better consistency. So, let's say from here on that Offcuts are coming on a Monday afternoon switching from Sunday and a newsletter will follow on a Thursday morning. In terms of content, if there’s more or less you want to see from me I am all ears in hearing what most piques your interest!