Life Lessons From Nature
How the subtle beauty of trees teach us about the process of a successful life
A tree has a life of its own.
A journey through the seasons of life and lessons to bear in its beauty.
From the grounded roots to the tip of every leaf it tells a story,
a story of life without resistance to change or circumstances in the environment.
A story of progression, a story of strength, and a story of legacy.
Although seasons will change and leaves will fall, the tree still stands tall despite what it's been through.
With no shame and no pride, just endurance, acceptance, and adaptation to whatever life brings.
The nature and beauty of trees can teach vital lessons about the process of a successful and meaningful life.
Sew seeds
Take a look outside, observe nature in all its beauty.
The green grass, the blossomed flowers, the flying bird in the big blue sky, and the tall magnificent tree before you.
Do you ever stop and think, all of this once had a beginning. Before the grass sprouted green they were seeds. Before the bird could fly it was in an egg. Before the tree was tall and magnificent, it was a seed.
Everything starts from somewhere and with that understanding, we become aware that so do we.
Not only did we start as seeds from our parents and grew into who we are today, but every day we are planting seeds.
Whether thoughts in the mind or habits in our actions, we are plotting seeds by our choices in every moment of life. The sum of those choices becomes who we are.
The seeds we plant will eventually grow as we habitually tend to them.
Just like a fig seed can only grow into a fig tree, a negative thought can only produce more negative thoughts and eventually negative circumstances, and the same goes for positive thoughts producing more positive thoughts and eventually positive circumstances.
This is an important lesson to understand because what we plant in thought and action will eventually take root through habit and produce more of that seed in our lives whether we like it or not.
Nurture the right seeds
As briefly mentioned in the sew seeds portion of this article, we knowingly or unknowingly tend to seeds that we plant in our lives.
Let’s conceptualize the relationship of nurturing a seed to nurturing your mind and body through the condition of thought and action.
The seed represents your thoughts and actions. The soil in which the seed is planted represents your mind. The water that penetrates the seed is the repetition of those thoughts and or actions. The sunlight depicts reinforcement from internal and external factors that provoke those thoughts and actions.
Like an actual seed, that needs soil, water, and sunlight that nurtures it, so do our thoughts and actions through repetition and reinforcement.
Oftentimes than not, we fall into negative cycles because our internal and external environments are rooted in those negative thoughts and actions.
Much like weeds that must be discarded, we must weed out negativity when we become aware of them stunting our growth.
Nurture what you want to see more of in your life. Nurture seeds that benefit you and others. Seeds of positivity, love, kindness, and success.
What do positive and successful seeds look like?
About one’s mind, positive seeds can be characterized as positive thoughts and feelings. The more positive thoughts you deliberately have, the more positive things you will see, feel, do and experience because your mind begins to adapt to that way of thinking, or ‘take root in the soil of your mind and demonstrate it.
Concerning your body, positive seeds are disciplined actions that are moving towards a definite goal in your life.
Nurture yourself in the right direction that serves you through discipline, positive reinforcement, and repetition.
Patience & trust is a virtue
Much like us, trees are diverse and undergo various stages throughout life.
They come in all shapes and sizes and come from different places all around the world. The location, access to natural resources, species type, climate, etc, all are factors in the condition of the tree.
There’s no definite time span for growth, but what is definite is that eventually, they will, when provided with what it needs and given the time to do so.
Some trees grow in as little as twelve weeks, while others take thirty years or more to reach their greatest potential.
Trees go through seasons of extreme heat, extreme cold, and everything in between, depending on the climate throughout the stages of growth.
As people, so do we. We go through good times, bad times, and fair times, but the distinction lies within nature's willingness to embrace change rather than resist it.
Change is difficult, but it is necessary. A season of temporary defeat can teach us important lessons about perseverance and discipline.
Just like a season of extreme heat for a tree that utilizes evapotranspiration to access water, we must adapt and make the best out of the circumstances by using our innate strengths to get us through.
While learning to adapt and embrace whatever situations arise in our lives, we cultivate the virtue of patience. We began to understand that there is a reason for every season. Like the magnificent tree, stay rooted in the foundation and trust the process because you’re bound to make it through.
Not every tree grows at the same rate, and neither do people. Be patient with yourself and stay committed to your grand vision.
Harvest & reap what you have sown
There are seasons for tribulations and change, but there are also seasons for restoration and reaping.
As mentioned, the process of growth for a tree is not definite and the same goes for us. It can take several months or a lifetime to reach its maximum potential, but when growth occurs, harvest is grand.
You reap what you sow, nothing less and nothing more. Don’t expect a grand harvest if you did not put in the grand effort.
“The results you achieve will be in direct portion to the effort you apply.”- Denis Waitley
Deliberately choosing and tending to the seeds (thoughts and actions) you grow in your life is vital to being successful.
This should assure you that your hard work, perseverance, endurance, and time will not be in vain.
Much like the magnificent tree that stands tall, your harvest will testify to how deeply rooted you are in greatness.
