We like to hug trees. My daughter was 7 years old at the time.
I’m a tree hugger. I admit it.
I love trees.
I enjoy hiking through a forest. Trees exude a special energy. We take them for granted, yet they do so much for us.
If you’re anything like me, you look for inspiration and guidance. Most often we look to other humans, but why not look to nature?
Why not look to trees?
Trees can teach us a lot. Below I have several lessons trees teach us.
Don’t be so rigid
Trees have incredible strength to stand tall, yet must also be flexible. They can bend and withstand pretty extreme conditions. The bamboo tree is particularly great at teaching us the value of staying flexible.
Having strength doesn’t mean you can’t bend. Having the ability to adapt to changing conditions IS strength.
Sometimes it’s best to let go of resistance and go with the flow.
Expect change
Trees constantly experience change. They don’t fight it or complain about it (that we know of).
Every Fall leaves change color and drop. It’s inevitable. The timing may differ, as well as the vibrancy of the colors. But change always happens. In Spring there is new growth. Trees produce buds, then boom, out pop the leaves.
Change happens. Our environment may always change, but we have to keep moving forward.
Grow from obstacles
Check out the photo below of the tree growing through the tractor. Amazing, right? Trees don’t run into an obstacle and stop. They find their way around it, maybe through it, and grow.
Having a tractor or fence in your way seems like a pretty good challenge, but a tree won’t let that stop them. Oh no.
Challenges are a chance for growth. It may not feel like it when you’re in the thick of it. But I bet if you look back on any challenge you faced, there was something you learned, something that helped you grow.
You have great power within you
Every tree starts off as a small seed. Within that seed is great potential. Not only to grow tall and strong, but to provide for nature.
Did you know that the seed of a redwood tree is very small, about the size of a tomato seed? Within this tiny seed is the potential of a 200-foot tree, maybe even taller.
The only thing the seed requires is the right conditions.
You’re born with great potential. You have it within you. Perhaps some lies dormant and all you need to truly bloom is to get in touch with the right resources.
Perfectionism is an illusion
Trees are beautiful. And they aren’t perfect. Perhaps it’s their imperfections that make them more beautiful.
If you are a perfectionist you are in good company. I think it’s something many of us suffer from. We must remember that perfectionism keeps us stuck, preventing us from taking action.
There is no perfect. I’ll quote a wise woman…
Stay grounded while you reach for the stars
Trees always remain grounded with their roots. Their roots can be buried deep in the earth, spreading over a large area. Often hidden from sight, they are their foundation. Without them, they would topple over.
They stay grounded yet are constantly reaching upward toward greater heights.
Bury your roots so that as you grow and change you stay connected to your foundation.
Be patient
It can take years, even decades, for a seed to grow into a mature tree. Talk about being patient!
A majestic oak tree on our family land.
Sugar maples grow 1-2 feet per year. For any maple syrup lovers (like us), did you know that sugar maple trees aren’t tapped until they are 40 years or older?
Most oak trees don’t produce a good crop of acorns until they are 50 years old!
Trees understand patience.
Trees understand that patient, small actions eventually lead to big impacts.
In a society obsessed with speed, it’s almost like we’ve forgotten how to take our time. And be okay with it.
Trees teach us that everything happens at the right time, even if this means it may not happen as quickly as you want it to.
Let shit go
Trees don’t cling to dead leaves. Nope. They let them go so new leaves can eventually emerge.
I love this quote from Rumi,
Us humans could use this lesson! We have a tendency to hold on to many things that don’t serve us. It can range from negative thought patterns to bad habits to toxic relationships.
These things drain your energy and can take up space where new growth can happen.
Let the dead leaves go.
Build connection
Did you know that trees tend to be weaker when in isolation? When planted next to other trees they are stronger, more vibrant. They clearly thrive in community.
Beneath the Earth, trees connect their roots, even passing nutrients to each other. Scientists call these connections mycorrhizal networks. The root tips of trees join together with microscopic fungal filaments to form this network.
According to a forester, Peter Wohlleben, this network is a lifeline for young saplings in deeply shaded parts of a forest. He explains that big trees pump sugar into their roots through the mycorrhizal networks.
Wohlleben believes that trees work together, for the good of the ecosystem. When they’re surrounded by healthy trees they all thrive.
Humans cannot thrive in isolation either. We need each other to survive. We can do this by supporting each other and staying present in conversations.
Are there other lessons trees have taught you? Comment below!
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