There are so many wonderful metaphors to be made with trees, and I am sure you’ve already heard quite a few.
The first metaphor to trees I heard came when I was riding a horse. (Seems accurate enough…)
My trainer told me that my core was the trunk of the tree and my arms were the branches. With a wobbly trunk, I had a tendency to stiffen my branches. I looked forced and rigid, when I needed to be fluid and effortless for the horse.
I needed a stronger base, a stronger trunk – stronger roots.
Physically, I needed to strengthen my legs and core muscles, in order to take the load off of my arms, shoulders, and neck.
What are you rooted in, physically?
Trees are smart. When the temperatures start to drop in the Fall, trees send the chlorophyll from their leaves to their trunk. Here, the chlorophyll is stored so that it can later be used for energy.
The tree receives information (cold weather) and then takes action (stores chlorophyll). It understands that its leaves must fall, in order to preserve its trunk and branches.
It can be good practice to take note of how we respond to a change in events, change in people, or even a change in temperature. The lens that we use to process information is incredibly important, because it sets us up for how we will respond. Our lens is often what is most important to us.
What are you rooted in, mentally?
Am I being too forward, when I say that we’ve all picked bark off a tree? We might have done this absentmindedly or purposefully – admiring how easy it was to do.
The bark is the tree’s outermost protection, its first line of defense. As soon as we pick it off, all sorts of unwanted organisms are free to grow!
As humans, we might all have a different emotional protection, but we all know the feeling of when someone or something starts to pick at it. We can feel ourselves being tested and exposed, and it hurts.
However, we need this ability to feel, because it is at the root of our decision making.
What are you rooted in, emotionally?
Unlike trees, we can choose where we put our roots physically. mentally, and emotionally. We also have the freedom to decide just how strong they are.
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