Transplanting Happiness

While i was at the meditation center last week, one of the staff, Kristy, dug up a patch of irises and daylilies and replanted them along a stone wall.  I stop gardening in July because it's too hot to transplant, but Kristy was undeterred by the heat.

I went in to the 7 p.m. meditation, and she was digging. 45 minutes later, when i walked out, she was watering the new bed heavily.

This is a great example of "beginner's mind." Kristy had intention; she applied effort; she got results. The expert (me) wouldn't have applied the effort, because the expert "knows too much."

Sometimes, we think that by transplanting the expert's knowledge/opinion into our own experience, we'll reduce our stress. That can be true.
But we might also reduce our happiness.

Kristy looked pretty happy about the new flower bed. And i've been waiting for years for someone to do something with that overgrown patch of daylilies and irises, so i was happy too :)