staring down the throat of life + you can't stop growth

can't stop growth, 12 X 12, acrylic on canvas, framed
© kari maxwell

I have a tendency to stare down the throat of something, wanting it to budge, move, shift.  I am learning, quite slowly, that my job is to do the work and then sit back and let it take it's own course, in it's own time.  I have also learned that the more I stare it down, the further it is from making any visual movement.

I LOVE starting seedlings.  I usually have mini greenhouses lined across our kitchen windowsill.  I know I've talked about this before, but I get such a thrill out of the miracle of growth.  I mean, those tiny seeds all of the sudden are trying to push their way through the plastic I have rubber-banded around the top of each tiny pot.

I don't know if any of you have tried to root an avocado pit lately but, in my experience, some root quickly and others take A LOT OF TIME.  Everyday I have been observing one particular avocado pit - the one that took months and months to root.  Everyday, I would look closely to see if there were any changes.  Everyday - nothing...that is, to the naked eye...

My husband and I left for a weekend camping trip on Friday afternoon.  We returned Sunday eve.  To my astonishment, this particular avocado had sprouted and I could see the growth.

I didn't spend my weekend obsessing about the avocado pit.  I let it be.  I went away and did something else.  I didn't stare it down, trying to force it to come of age before it was ready.  If only I could do the same with my life and my circumstances.  If only I could trust that the next spurt of growth (or inspiration) will come when it's ready.  If only I could stop staring it down, trying to get it to root (or sprout).  Growth isn't something that stops and starts.  It's always happening somewhere, with something.  It isn't always visible, though, and this is where the trusting, the patience, the ability to walk away and let it go are extremely important and valuable characteristics.

And so this becomes the ultimate question, doesn't it?  Where can I put my focus NOW so that I can give these seeds I have planted the space and time they need to root (and sprout)?

Read about another avocado pit here


:::: by the way, the painting you see above is now available on Saatchi.  see it here :::::