Have you ever experienced a sensation of starting again, being re-born, or growing beyond what you thought was probable or possible? Over the past few months, a lot of us have had no choice but to start again, to shed old layers and expectations, and to grow. Whether consciously or unconsciously, the unpredicted adversity many of us have faced this year (I’m talking about the global pandemic if you’re not quite sure..) and at other pivotal life moments, not only helps build inner strength, but encourages us to grow beyond what we might have been. Light and dark, joy and sorrow, hardship and ease; these aspects all make for a richer, more meaningful life experience, imbued with wisdom to eventually pass on. Maybe you’ve had to relinquish plans and start a new career. Maybe you’ve adapted your life path, maybe you’ve been empowered to take leaps of faith, or have seen yourself grow and evolve recently. Whatever it is, nature can always lend a hand in reflecting back to us the lessons we need in order to trust that we’re exactly where we need to be.
The cycle of growing, facing challenges, overcoming difficulty and starting again is mirrored in nature. Look around the next time you’re out walking, and you’ll perhaps notice trees that have grown twisted and bent in order to reach the sunlight, or tress that have fallen, inviting the growth of fungi to break down matter and begin the cycle of plant life all over again. Each season, we see nature taking on new colours, throwing out new leaves, fruits and scents, before submitting to Autumn and taking stock before starting again in Spring. In a world set on achieving and ‘doing’, we can easily get caught up in focussing only upon linear growth, expecting life to move along an upward trajectory, only to feel panic and anxiety if there’s a sudden dip or unexpected blip. The truth is – as I’m sure you already know – life doesn’t move along in a straight line. There are days and months when life’s trajectory is wiggly, jagged, or a wave of ups and downs, when we have to start again, or when we really need to dig deep and move through some serious personal growth. And so it is in nature…
If you visit an ancient forest or wild woodland that has been largely left to manage itself, you’ll notice that there’s no formal order to things, there’s no neatness or predictability; the trees, shrubs and plants move through a cycle of growing, overcoming, flourishing, dying, and returning back to the earth to start the process again. Nature knows that life doesn’t move along in a straight line, but more of a spiral – ever expanding and contracting, pulsating and shifting. Nature also knows that ‘growth’ isn’t done in deliberate straight lines, but by adapting and responding to surroundings. When we observe nature, it reflects back to us the lesson that life is more of a spiral than a predictable and linear progression. When we can lean into this and accept life’s natural inclination towards being non-linear, we actually open ourselves up to the possibility that anything could happen. Nature teaches us that there’s no set rule for what tomorrow might look like; there’s no limit to our potential; there’s no harm in working together, and there’s no limit to our growth. Indeed, as Maxime Lagace said; ‘By discovering nature, you discover yourself’.
3 Trees To Learn From
Head out into the woods right now, and you’ll see for yourself the lessons these trees have to teach us. Spend some time with these trees, using all your senses to connect to them, and let them teach you what they have to share.
Oak Trees
Oak trees existed long before humans, and they hold a huge amount of wisdom. Unlike many other trees, oaks have been able to adapt and respond to the changing climate and shifting weather patterns, and have survived to stand in our forests today, growing despite challenges and change. Living up to around 1000 years old, oaks produce thousands of acorns year after year, and within that tiny acorn lies the potential for another huge tree and another 1000 years of growth. In ancient times, oak trees were also worshipped for their strength and determination, as oaks tend to be the last to drop their leaves in Autumn, and some are strong enough not to drop them at all. Perhaps the oak tree could inspire us to adapt and respond to life, knowing that throughout changes and challenges, we collect wisdom that we can then pass on to others.
Holly
Holly is a great example of how intelligent and adaptable nature is. Head out to your nearest holly bush and look up; you’ll see that whilst the leaves near the bottom are spiky and sharp, those at the top are smoother without spines on them. Holly bushes do this because their ‘predators’ are usually lower to the ground – think deer, goats or rabbits – so they decide not to waste their energy on protecting the higher leaves that can’t be munched by a passing animal. Holly has also been revered for hundreds of years because of its ability to withstand cold winters and provide berries even in the midst of snow. Perhaps the holly bush could teach us to make the best use of our energy – protecting ourselves and creating boundaries when necessary, and learning to soften when possible.
Sequoia Trees
The giant redwood sequoia trees have an extremely thick bark, which stops them from being flammable and vulnerable to forest fires, and also have a high level of tannins that helps them resist disease. Although sequoias can grow to become some of the biggest trees on earth, they start out from a tiny seed, and rather than having deep roots, their root system is actually quite shallow, and their strength is derived from the fact that different sequoias’ roots link and hold together to support each other. Perhaps sequoia trees could trach us that even from the tiniest beginnings, huge things can grow, and they grow even better when we work together.