Finding Strength in Nature:
How often do we put our lives on pause and stop to observe the beauty that exists around us. Sometimes we can be so wrapped up in the hectic nature of our lives that we fail to appreciate the simple yet powerful messages of our surroundings; the messages evident in the wonders of nature. By really taking the time to observe the things we pass by everyday, we can find the strength and inspiration we needed all along.
So many people in this world are filled with feelings of insignificance, the fear of failure, the lack of belief in themselves and their ability to truly make a difference. The obstacles and curve balls life throws our way sometimes makes us doubt our ability to stay afloat, to rise above, and to make it to the next round. To all of you out there who’ve felt this way at some point or another, who felt as though they were drowning in a sea of troubles with no life vest to keep them afloat – I’m here to remind you that you are so much more powerful than you think! Never sell yourselves short; don’t give up in the face of adversity. And when you’re in the need of some inspiration – turn to the TREES!
Ever wonder about the great mysteries and beauty of a tree? With a closer look, you will see that the trees exist to uplift us in our times of despair and self-doubt.
There it stands a testament to human strength, to human potential for greatness. Think about it? Small seeds are planted in the ground. Suddenly from this tiny seed, roots begin to emerge stretching in all different directions, grabbing hold of the earth beneath it. Then something extraordinary happens – out of this tiny seed, a bark juts out. What’s even more amazing is that it goes against the one constant in this world – gravity! Bursting from the soil beneath, the bark makes its way on an upward journey. But the magic has only just begun. From this massive bark, branches begin to emerge, reaching upward branching out right, left and every direction in between. From those branches, even smaller branches begin to grow.
It gets better! From the tips of these hard wooden branches, a green leafy substance begins to grow and from those leaves a beautiful, colorful fruit appears. Before you know it the tree is sparkling with fruits beautiful to the eye. When the fruit is finally rip, gravity works its magic and it falls to the ground. You pick up the fruit, and here comes the most fascinating part, you cut open the fruit and there in its center are those same seeds you first planted in the ground! AMAZING! Yes, from that seed a tree emerged from the ground fighting against the power of gravity to bring us a beautiful, colorful, fruit filling our lives with its sweetness. If that’s not amazing – I don’t know what else is!
So what’s the message? If you ever feel like giving up on yourself, as though you won’t be able to accomplish your dream, as though the system has beaten you, as though you are only one person with no true power – just remember the power of the tree. How dare you give up on yourself, don’t you see just how AMAZING you are!
Just like a tree, a human being fights the power of gravity – standing up in face of adversity. The tree serves as a reminder that although obstacles may come your way, you have the power to overcome.
Let’s take this a step further. A tree doesn’t bear fruits over night; it takes time, proper care, water, sun light. But, at the end of the entire process the sweet taste of the fruit, makes the wait all worthwhile. We are programmed in today’s society to seek instant, immediate gratification. With the increased and rapid speed at which technology is increasing people feel cheated when things take an extra few seconds. But things of great value come with time, care, and persistence.
Imagine a man planted a flower. He watered it the first couple of days, but when he saw that the flower hadn’t grown yet, he was discouraged and decided to stop watering the plant, figuring the water wasn’t making much of a difference anyway. That plant will most certainly die. If only the man recognized that beneath the surface, deep down in the roots of the plant that little bit of water was working its magic. He may not have seen the effects right away, nonetheless that little bit of water was all the plant needed to grow. Right beneath the surface, the plant was about to peak out of the soil, but it never had the chance because the man gave up on it too soon.
Sometimes we will feel like the efforts we are putting in are pointless, useless, and not yielding any immediate fruits. We are so focused on getting to the finish line that we stop taking the small baby steps that will eventually get us there. Don’t worry about getting to the finish line; just know that the journey you take will make your final destination even sweeter. You too will bear fruits – just have faith in yourself. The tree is there to remind you of your power to accomplish great things, to overcome life’s challenges.
WOW! The power of the tree, who knew it’s been speaking to us along. Open your eyes, open your heart and take in its message. So remember, when you’re on the brink of giving up, losing faith, losing hope – just cast your eyes to the trees and remember that you are special and like a tree have the power to fight against the force of gravity pulling you downward. You too will reach great heights!
So, what do you see when you look at a tree? HOPE!
Share with us your view of nature.