“Your mind is like a piece of land planted with many different kinds of seeds: seeds of joy, peace, mindfulness, understanding, and love; seeds of craving, anger, fear, hate, and forgetfulness. These wholesome and unwholesome seeds are always there, sleeping in the soil of your mind. The quality of your life depends on the seeds you water… The seeds that are watered frequently are those that will grow strong.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

You might be as reeling, heartbroken, and worn out as I am by the events this past week, only adding to the crisis load we’ve all been carrying.

Our society is in deep need of renewal and healing. We’re seeing who we become when we cultivate the seeds of fear, hatred, greed, ignorance, othering, White supremacy, …

How do we keep cultivating the seeds for a society rooted in integrity, equity, inclusion, and wellbeing for all?

How do we keep showing up to do the inner and outer work every day?

If you’re in need of rest, give yourself permission to stop doing, unplug, and simply be, even if for a little while. We cannot show up for each other and our world without periods of rest. This is a marathon.

As I think about the long road ahead, what’s been helpful for me to keep going is focusing on a long-term intention to contribute more kindness, integrity, healing, and justice to the world. Our intention is what we’re inclining our mind toward - the seeds we seek to cultivate.

May I meet each moment with clarity and kindness. May life use me well to bring more kindness, integrity, healing, and justice to the world.

Rather than focusing our intention on the wants and fears of our small, fear-based self, we can find strength and freedom in widening and deepening our intention. We can let it be an expression of our core values and what truly matters.

Finding your deepest intention might take some digging. It can be helpful to ask yourself: Does this intention feel alive in my heart and body, not just my mind? Does it energize and inspire me in the direction of becoming my wisest, most compassionate self?

When we get triggered, we can stop, take a breath, and reconnect with our intention before responding. We can let it be a guide as we’re moving through our day, doing our work, interacting with the people in our lives, and caring for our body, heart, and mind.

What’s your deepest intention? What seeds do you want to cultivate?

With love,

Sarah-Marie