Grow Relentlessly Towards the Light
Get involved in causes that contribute towards creating positive change. Whether your passion is social justice, animal welfare, the environment, or fighting hunger, poverty or disease, the result of our work helps bring more light to a world covered in darkness and this is essential towards our growth as human beings.
Practice Small Acts of Kindness Everyday
Just like a tiny seed gives growth to a giant sequoia, small acts of kindness can have a huge impact on the world around us. Say good morning, please and thank you, put a coin in an expired meter, buy lunch for someone you know is having financial difficulties, offer to babysit or help a friend with a move, volunteer. Like Howard Zinn said: “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”
Sink Your Roots Deep!
Find something that drives you, that you are passionate about, something that gives meaning to your life and hold on to it. Everything you do must be profound, and though the most important part of your work may remain unseen, the results will be there for generations to come. Just like Cottonwood trees may look like a forest, yet they are connected by an underground network of large roots that make them one single organism, so too what we do will impact everything around us.
Be a Shelter for Others
Trees not only provide oxygen and shade for us, but also food, shelter and nesting sites for many creatures great and small. We can also be a source of comfort for those around us in many ways. We can provide “shelter” by being there for a friend who needs someone to talk to in tough times, by giving a homeless person your doggie bag, or fostering a dog or cat until it finds a permanent home, even something as small as leaving seed and water for wild birds and squirrels to help them survive the winter. Giving shelter may not involve providing a roof yet can make a world of difference.
Don’t Focus on Counting the Fruit of Your Labor
As with fruit trees, the more fruit harvested for use the more it grows and the more fruit it gives. Instead of focusing on how much we get, focus on the giving. By giving more, whether we give our love, time, attention, we continuously make space to receive more…the more we give the more we receive and the more we receive the more we have to give. The reward for giving becomes limitless and priceless.
Dance Through it All!
A forest that is subjected to harsh winds and storms is much sturdier than one that’s in a more protected area since strong winds will remove weaker trees and give more room for the rest to grow and thrive as well as promote the growth of strong trunks. Same with a person, the more challenges and adversity you face the tougher you can become. So next time you find yourself in the middle of a storm, just dance through it all and know that when the storm is over, you will be that much stronger.
Make an Impact!
Trees are one of the most amazing living beings in the planet. Yet most of the time we can pass by one and not even notice it until we are standing in front of one in complete awe because of its size or breathtaking beauty. In short, trees are not only essential to us in so many ways, but they can also make an impact. We can also make an impact by choosing to stand out from the rest, to be different, to be essential. Maybe you are a musician, an artist, an inventor, or want to bring world peace; however crazy or impossible it may seem, find your purpose and turn it into something that will create a positive impact on this world. These are the things worth fighting for even if you are the only one fighting for it. Even if you are the lone nut, in the end you might be the last one standing, the giant sequoia among the willows. Because to stand out, to be essential, to make a difference, sometimes you need to differentiate yourself from the rest, do things differently or find new ways to do it. In this way you also become essential, and the impact of your efforts may last for generations or even redefine the future of humanity as a whole.
