Why I Don’t Try to Change My Clients — Even if they say they want to change
In my early 20’s, I volunteered on a Biodynamic farm in Germany. I was there alongside several other young Americans. The farmer, a kind middle-aged Dutch man, taught us how to use old-fashioned hand tools such a small human-drawn plow. We worked slowly and peacefully. We sat for hours tediously laying mesh over pea sprouts for reasons I no longer remember. We planted row after row of potatoes. We determined that the old-fashioned methods were profoundly inefficient. We were Americans! We could help to improve, modernize, and streamline the process, making it more profitable and better all around!
Our experienced farm mentor was patient with us. He allowed us to be ourselves and explore our curiosity. He never pressured us to work harder or faster, which I’ve experienced on other farms. After a few too many of our efficiency interventions, he sighed in exasperation, “The potatoes like to go slow!” he said.
Indeed. Potatoes are root vegetables. Heavy, dense, accustomed to the dark. Why were we trying to rush them? I could see this with the potatoes, but it took me much longer to see it with people.
Despite thousands of hours of training with tai chi, yoga, meditation, hypnotherapy, Processwork, and many other modalities, it took me a couple of decades of pushing…
