Be Like a Tree 

Be like a tree.

Stay grounded.

Connect with your roots.

Turn over a new leaf.

Bend before you break.

Enjoy your unique natural beauty.

Keep growing.

(Joanne Raptis, author and writer)

It’s thought that each concentric circle in the trunk of a tree represents one year of growth. If you look closely at this picture (above) you can see that not each ring is equally spaced; that’s because the amount of growth that occurred in each year of this tree’s life wasn’t the same. Some years will have been ‘dreamy’ with the ‘goldilocks’ combination of light, rain, nutrients available. Other years will have been tougher with more storms, droughts or pests attacking. In every year however, there was growth of some kind. 

Something similar is true for us. Whether we have a ‘perfect’ year or live through a ‘stormy’ year, there will be growth; stuff we learn, stuff we acquire in terms of experience. 

So as the new year begins, we want to encourage you to consider your growth over the last year….

• I wonder what you know about yourself this January that you didn’t know last year?

• I wonder what you know about the world around you this January that you didn’t know last year? 

• I wonder what new experiences of yourself you had in 2021?

• I wonder who has supported you to learn and grow over the last year?

• I wonder if you have supported anyone else to learn and grow over the last year?

Spend some time with all of this and consider what it means to adopt a stance of gratitude for these things.