Grow Like a Tree

This morning I came across a quote by Jim Rohn and instantly enjoyed a particular part.  He wrote:

"Every life form seems to strive to its maximum except human beings.  How tall will a tree grow?  As tall as it possibly can.  Human beings, on the other hand, have been given the dignity of choice.  You can choose to be all or you can choose to be less.  Why not stretch up to the full measure of the challenge and see what all you can do?" ~ Jim Rohn

The idea within the quote that I absolutely love is how tall a tree will grow: As tall as it can!  More specifically, I love how a tree grows.  I love how trees dig their roots into the earth to create a stable footing, and then reach for the sky.  As a tree grows so does its root system.  It is absolutely amazing to me to see a tree reach through the canopy to capture the sunlight.  Or, to see a tree that has altered its growth, moving around an object, to reach higher.

The object of our reach is relative, but the lessons learned from a tree show that we can move towards and still reach a goal, yet alter our path.  Have you ever really stopped to notice the strength and nobility in a single tree?  It's inspiring.  Hermann Hesse wrote this about trees:

"In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing: to fulfill themselves according to their own laws, to build up their own form, to represent themselves." ~ Hermann Hesse

I remember first coming across this writing.  I admire the imagery and simple idea here.  A tree embeds its roots into the earth to grow and reach and withstand the turmoil that exists above.  As the tree grows, reaching higher into the world, the base grows to provide more footing.  That base is either wide or deep, depending on the tree, and offers stability.  Stability and strength are two different things.  Yet we often live life like standing on the edge of the beach with our feet shallowly buried in the sand.  When the water recedes back into the ocean, washing away the sand around our feet, we clinch our toes in an effort to overcome the force.  Our base is inadequate.

Living life like a tree, we are able to work around obstacles on our way to reach the sunlight through

the canopy only after we establish our base and set our roots: integrity, confidence, humility, courage, self-worth.  These are just a few of the traits necessary and essential to grow like a tree.  The roots must grow along with our trunk.  Stability and strength.  Life can be tiring, frustrating and hurtful.  We can try and try, yet fail.  Once we begin to see this as part of setting our roots, it begins to make sense.  And, we can push even higher towards that sunlight as our base grows, too.

When you look at a tree what do you notice first?  Likely, you notice the height and strength and solidness.  The tree hides the signs of tough years and lean growth in its rings.  It builds another ring around these hardships to become stronger, the roots reach farther and the tree grows that much closer to its sunlight.

"Like a tree I have endured years of drought and harsh storms, each challenging me; yet here I stand, solitary and proud, looking up to the sky where the sunlight brings a new day.  Life is lived here, in the treetops." ~ Jason Huntsinger