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I’m starting this week with a little honesty. I usually write TrimTabs on Monday evenings and it’s a rhythm I love but yesterday didn’t go to plan. It was a busy day of working, evening DIY and family needing support, so there wasn’t the usual time to sit down and write.

My plans changed and I had to accept that this newsletter would wait until today. And you know what? That’s okay.

I’m sharing this because it’s exactly what I want to reflect on this week. Committing to a weekly newsletter is something I really value and I’m grateful you take the time to read it.

But the reality is, life doesn’t always follow our plans and that’s where the idea of radical acceptance comes in.

Last week, I asked:

“What would I most like to achieve in the next year? What could I do this week to take the first step towards that?”

It’s a big question, especially in turbulent times when it can feel hard to think past the end of the day.

But even the smallest step can start to create movement. And often, the biggest thing standing in our way isn’t lack of skills, knowledge or opportunity it’s our resistance to what is or the judgement and self-doubt we carry.

To nurture the conditions for change, we first need to look inward, accept our reality with compassion and simply be willing to give it a go.

For me, this week’s step was accepting that I didn’t write last night and showing up to write this morning instead. I quietened the shame, avoided beating myself up and moved forward from there.

Accepting reality, whether it’s our circumstances, our feelings or our own pace is often the first seed of meaningful change. Sometimes that’s all we need to start - presence, clarity and willingness to act from where we are.

So, enjoy this quote from Tara Brach and in the next section, we’ll explore how our inner acceptance becomes the roots that nourish the outer fruits we want to grow in our lives:

I love Tara Brach’s work, she’s the author of ‘Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha’.

I’ve always found it fascinating how Buddhist principles form the foundation of many modern therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). It’s interesting that modalities we often think of as purely ‘scientific’ often grow from deep, ancient wisdom, passed down through generations.

Radical acceptance, for example, is a core principle in DBT and widely used in the NHS. Yet if we framed it as a Buddhist meditation practice, some might worry it’s too “woo-woo” for modern life.

This blending of ancestral knowledge and contemporary methods is at the heart of my work. I believe we can weave ancient wisdom with practical, relevant modern approaches and is a principle that underpins the models I’ve built.

Last week, I shared The Natural Network, a way of bringing people together in nature to create impact in our lives and work while being in tune with the rhythms of the world.

This week, I want to share the thinking behind my ‘Inner Roots. Outer Fruits.’ framework. It’s a circular system starting with our roots, following the flow of life and reaching a point of letting go to compost what no longer serves us so it can feed the soil our roots grow from.

I built this model drawing on principles from nature, ancient mysticism, coaching and therapeutic concepts. I use it with individuals, teams, and groups, and it’s central to my work with The Natural Network.

Here’s a light touch way of bringing this alive in your life:

• Notice your roots: Observe your current thoughts, feelings and beliefs. What’s supporting you? What might be holding you back?

• Accept what is: Practice radical acceptance of yourself, your situation, or your limitations with no judgement or rushing.

• Take a small step forward: Act from where you are, not where you think you “should” be. Even a tiny step counts.

• Let go and compost: Release what no longer serves you so it can nourish your next cycle of growth.

Even a small practice like this begins to create a flow between inner acceptance and outer impact.

If you’d like to explore this more deeply, I’d love to support you.

Whether it’s for your own personal growth, your team, or a project you care about, we can work together to apply these ideas in ways that feel practical, meaningful and aligned with your life.

This newsletter is just a light touch, there’s so much more we can cultivate together, and I’d be delighted to guide you on that journey…

So thinking about our first event, Harvesting Wisdom, takes place on Friday 26th September on Four Acre Farm. It’s a half-day designed for professional development and inner reflection, timed with the Autumn Equinox - a natural moment of balance, renewal and preparation for the months ahead.

There are tickets available and if you’d like to be part of the founding circle, this is your chance to step in early. Momentum is already building for our November gathering so now is a great time to join us at the beginning.

Thank you for being here with me this week.

I hope it’s been helpful to pause and notice where we are, and how small acts of acceptance can open space for growth both inwardly and outwardly.

As is tradition, I’d like to leave you with a reflection for the week ahead:

"What is one truth about where I am right now that I can fully accept? And what small step can I take this week, from that place of acceptance, to nurture my roots and grow my fruits?"

With compassion and curiosity,

Nick

Well that’s it for another week. Boo!

But we don’t have to stop there. Hurrah!

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