Growing into the Light – Tree Wisdom

Trees Can Help Us Understand Making Choices and Growing into The Light 

A few years ago I looked after a house, that had a large verandah wrapped around its second storey. It was surrounded by trees and each one had its own life experiences to tell.

The beautiful tree in this picture is an enlightened being, and is very clever. The tree talked with me every day and I happily and gratefully listened to all that it had to say. It talked a lot about growing into the Light.

When it was a seed it flew in the wind to a beautiful big garden. But the wind dropped and it fell from a great height onto a large rock. The seed hoped that the wind would blow hard and pick it up so it could find some good soil to grow in. But the wind never came. Just the water and the sun.

The seed wished that the water would wash it towards the soil. But it didn’t. The sun and the water just made the shoot grow. So, the seedling grew suckers, held on tight and grew on the rock.

Over a few years it grew into a small tree, and stretched its roots around the rock so that they could reach into the earth below. Receiving nourishment from the soil, it grew wider and stronger. But it needed the Light.

For ten years it reached up towards the Light, but then unexpectedly, just as it was beginning to really stretch its limbs, some humans built a house, and its wide spreading limbs had nowhere to go. It took some time and a great deal of effort and focus, but after a few years it managed to turn its limbs back onto themselves, and they began to reach for the Light in the opposite direction…away from the wall of the building.

All went well for a few years but then a tree down the hill had a big growth spurt and its canopy stopped the Light getting through. It was time again to change direction, as the Light is what was needed to help the tree limbs grow. So, the tree sent its energy back down into the roots. It took its energy within and did no outward growing for two years, as it worked on how to change direction and move further into the Light. It worked to re-stabilise its roots, and then three years later it reached them out further along the rock. The next year its foundations were strong, and it sent off more shoots reaching up past the canopy into the Light.

All these experiences happened to the tree many years ago and it is now always in the Light. Its roots feed its family system and it passes the knowledge of its experiences to trees up to fifty miles away. It also shares its experiences with its animal and human visitors. Which is how I found out as we chatted every day.

I share this story, because it is a metaphor that may help some of you today or in the days and weeks ahead. I know that for many people ‘life’ and ‘daily life’ has changed profoundly. Many people wonder what life will bring, what is around the next corner, and whether they will just survive or thrive. Things don’t always turn out as we hope or plan for. When things change unexpectedly, they help us separate the wood from the trees (pun intended).

We can go within, develop inner strength, re-consider options, think laterally and make new choices – while still reaching for the Light. We can let go of worry, be flexible in our options, and focus on the experience of living in the now. Sometimes we go within, at other times we reach out. Sometimes we need to surrender, and other times it is time to take action. But whatever happens, our inner wisdom and personal choices are always available.

It is the choices we make that manifest the changes in our lives, and embody the quality of our living. We have so many choices to make every day – from what time to get up, what to eat for dinner, when to have a shower, who to talk to, what to read, what to listen to, where to sit, when to sleep and where. Each choice helps us strengthen our mind and body; heal our heart and soul; develop more awareness; and grow into the Light.