If we’re willing to listen and we’re willing to learn, life can be one of our greatest teachers. Life continues to teach us valuable lessons everyday and as I like to say, “you can’t skip it’s classes.”
Yesterday, I took a drive out with my family to enjoy the country road, get some fresh air and reset and reflect. While looking back at a picture I took standing under a tree, I thought it would be cool to share with you: 3 Lessons The Tree Taught Me.
I hope you’ll enjoy these lessons and explore the perspectives and lessons learned.
INSTANT GRATIFICATION
Typically, when we think of the term: “instant gratification” we refer to the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay. Understanding instant gratification in this way, sometimes makes it difficult or demotivating to start something, build something or plant something, simply because we don’t think we’ll get to enjoy it right away. However, the tree taught me that many, many years ago, perhaps even before I was born, someone planted that tree and today it stands tall and serves as a moment of reflection for me. What if the person who planted that tree decided to embrace the satisfaction of knowing that this small seed would one day grow up to offer value, wisdom, shade, or a place of reflection for a complete stranger they’ll most likely never meet. What if that person celebrated the act of kindness and generational investment of planting the tree instead of seeing the tree fully grown? That kind of mindset would offer Instant gratification in so many ways.
2. SELF CONFIDENCE
If trees were people, a tree in the forest might easily be seen as the “popular kid in school” as it is constantly surrounded by other trees, and all the birds and animals often surround it. However, the tree I was standing under stood alone, there weren’t many other trees around it or anything around it for that matter. So where does that leave this tree? Well, the tree taught me, that it’s not always about who’s around you and who others say you are that gives you self confidence. On the contrary, self confidence comes from the inside and can be seen by the many branches that extend from you. All these branches are the many different things you have explored, the various skills and interests you have, your emotions, you values, the things you’re most proud about, these branches are the best reminders that you can become anything you want to be and venture down any path and there is no limit to how many things you can try. Overtime, your confidence to grow and discover new things, might just inspire some more “ trees “ to do the same and who knows, they might want to stay closer to you and learn from your experiences, and you’ll have your own forest to influence.
3. YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SIZE
The tree was relatively small to the field in which it stood. If the tree were to consider it’s size in this way and compare it’s size and ability to impact according to the field, unfortunately it would come up short. However, the tree taught me, that although it might be small to the field, it was gigantic in the eyes of the ant that would crawl up and down it’s hefty trunk everyday in search of food. The caterpillar or the bird certainly wouldn’t refer to the tree as being “small.” So, perhaps in life you don’t have as many “followers” as the kardashin’s or you don’t have as many credentials as your colleagues, maybe you’re not the Milliondollar neighbour next door…But, who is look at you? Who is depending on you for ideas, for provision, for inspiration, for comfort, for love and for shelter and shade? Focus on them, take care of them because to them you are a very BIG deal.
"You are as BIG as the impact you leave on someones life.” - Daniel
Driving down highway 56 en route to Barrie, Ontario, Canada.