Don’t Blame the Lettuce
Pause to Ponder
In today’s short “Pause to Ponder” post, I’m sharing a quote by Thich Nhat Hanh where he uses the cultivation of lettuce as his analogy for cultivating healthy interpersonal relationships. My thirty-year career growing salad greens makes me extra-appreciative of Thich Nhat Hanh’s wise words, and so does his focus on overcoming the reflexive human tendency to blame others, which is something I often reflect upon. I’ve paired the excerpt with a lovely two-minute micro-meditation, “Letting-Go Breath”—a practice that quickly calms the nervous system and invites our whole being to settle and relax. Enjoy!
Myra in the early days of Earthbound Farm, circa 1985
“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change”
― Excerpted from Peace is Every Step, by Thich Nhat Hanh
Tiny pauses to be right here, right now can have big results. Visit and bookmark our library of twenty Take a Moment micro-meditations—all under two minutes long—that make taking mindful pauses as easy as possible. We invite you to "Take a Moment" to find the calm that is always within you.
