“A single gentle rain makes the grass many shades greener.

 So our prospects brighten on the influx of better thoughts.”

 Walden, “Spring”

It’s raining again at Dyberry Creek Farm. We gets lots moisture here (average of 44 inches/year plus 54 inches/year of snow), and our plants rarely need watering. Sometimes it’s a big thunderstorm, but oftentimes it’s a nice gentle rain that helps everything here at the farm thrive. A gentle rain really sinks in and nourishes things.

At lunch today with friends we were looking out the window and discussing how gentle but steady the rain was, and Thoreau’s quote came to mind. I often think of this quote by Thoreau when it’s raining. It’s such a simple and yet profound statement. It is well worth reflecting on.
Only in the last decade, through the study of yoga, have I come to realize that I can control my thoughts. I used to think they controlled me. In fact, as a kid, for many years I used to think people could hear my thoughts. Yoga teaches a concept called samskara (link): if we keep thinking the same thought it forms a rut in our minds that becomes more difficult to get out of. I have learned I can stop the chatter, I can get rid of the ruts, and I can choose to think of worthy and more worthwhile things.

It’s my life, my years, my days and my seconds. Not only do I get to choose how I spend my time and money, but I can choose how to spend my thoughts. It’s a life-changing concept and a work in progress.

Brian