Installing a Plant in Your Habitat

When i visited the Devonian Botanic Garden in Edmondton, Alberta, 20 years ago, i bought several packets of seeds from that zone 3 garden. The only one that survives today is the Siberian Delphinium. Eight feet tall with cobalt blue blossoms, the flowers are more simple than delphinium as we think of it.

Delphinium is usually a short-lived perennial, but this Siberian cultivar has lasted 20 years.

Our good intentions--to meditate, to drop a bad habit, to develop a good habit--are often short-lived. Yes, they are all good ideas, but we don't take the time to "install" them into our lifestyle. The last thing we need is one more thing to do. So how can we work with our already-overloaded bandwidth to really take on a new habit?

When i first came across The Work of Byron Katie 8 years ago, i knew it was one of those good ideas that would soon get lost in the busy-ness of everyday life. So i made a weekly appointment with a nearby certified facilitator of The Work. Three years ago, i installed The Work app on my smart-phone. By now The Work is pretty much installed into my life. It was a life saver during my recent cancer diagnosis.

My Siberian delphinium blooms vigorously 20 years later. It is definitely "installed" in my garden. And this good habit, this "skillful means" of The Work is installed in my mind.