Planting seeds

I had my first supervision meeting yesterday. What I really enjoy about this relationship is that my supervisor is all about helping us network and build our practices. There was a way in which just chatting about the current state of affairs and the vision for the future helped make it seem more real.
She asked us to really ask ourselves what we want from this practice. Who do I want to be in the chair? What am I envisioning - what is the dream?
As I thought about that this morning what came to me was not any news flash about my practice. I saw my garden. Okay, I know that's where a great deal of my thoughts have been lately - but I think this process is crossing the boundaries of my backyard.
It is the end of January. Winter. The first step in gardening is preparing the beds in which the seeds will grow. If the soil isn't prepped well - there won't be much abundance later. Winter is the time to feed the soil, build the hummus and create a living, organic foundation for the seeds I have to plant once spring rolls around. Everything has its time. I can't plant the seeds yet - it's too cold. But I can topdress the soil with the lime that it needs and the compost that has been waiting all year to go back into the garden.
There is work to be done - hard work that will take me out into the mud and rain this coming month. And yet, as I work, I always see what will be growing where. I see the beans filling the trellis and the spinach making a nice row of greens. I see the roses transplanted and a new bed for my pumpkins. The vision is one of abundance but it begins with what I do now.

I have no doubts in my mind that the vision of my therapy practice is a great deal like this process outside my back door. I am working to build the foundation - be it painting the new office, finding furniture, or working a new lease with my landlord. It is the work that needs to be done prior to the next step of being the seed that cracks it's casing and unfurls those first soft leaves to the sun.