Alex worked in the highly competitive environment of a top flight law firm. She noticed that many of her peers – including those who were far more able than she was – were often highly stressed at work and dissatisfied in their careers. Nothing was ever good enough. She also noticed that their focus on what “should” be true and that this consumed a great deal of their energy without leading to any progress.

Alex was not sure that this was the environment she wanted to work in but she recognised that it was the environment she had chosen – at least for now. She decided to invest her energy in noticing what was true in the firm. She paid attention to the workings of the firm – the stated and unstated rules, procedures and culture. She paid attention to what she was bringing to the firm – including her aspirations, her skills and capabilities, and her values. She was accepting – and curious – about the situation in which she found herself.

Alex had mastered the skill of starting from where you are. Because she was able to accept the truth of her situation she was able to be present to her situation. Even in the most challenging situations she did not experience stress so much as an opportunity to check in and notice what was true at a given point in time. This ability enabled Alex to take informed decisions both about her immediate situation and about her long term career.

Here are some questions to help you to identify the extent to which you are able to start from where you are:

• To what extent are you able to be present to whatever is true in your life right now – from your own thoughts and emotions to the circumstances in which you find yourself?
• To what extent are you accepting of everything that is true in your life – even of those parts of you (or others) that are not accepting?

What additional questions would you offer in relation to starting from where you are?