No Tree Has Branches So Foolish...
“No tree has branches so foolish as to fight amongst themselves.”
~ Ojibwa saying
When I read this expression, I had an “aha” moment. It pointed to a truth I had been seeking both in my life and in my coaching…
You know when you feel pulled in multiple directions?
When your fitness, your desires for your life, your community, your work, your family all seem to be at odds with each other?
How often do we hear ourselves saying:
“I was going to _____ but ______ got in the way”
“I wanted to do that hike, but my knee hurt.”
“I know I should have exercised, but I couldn’t stop watching The Great British Bake Off.”
“I was going to work on my novel, but that fitted sheet wasn’t going to fold itself.”
“I wanted to spend time with family, but this newsletter had to be written.”
“My feet really hurt, but I just have to wear these stilettos.”
It’s often that we think the solution is:
“If I just organized my time better.”
“If I only had more time.”
“If I just pushed a little harder.”
“If I just had more discipline.”
Or we adopt a defeatist attitude with:
“We can’t have everything.”
“Life is compromise”
“This is just what happens as we age.”
“I don’t want to be selfish - My desires aren’t that important.”
And what happens? In spite of your best intentions, we end up feeling stagnant, stuck, stressed, or just tired and worn out from striving in too many directions…
I believe our culture has trained us to work and live in ways that are against our individual natures and so each part of our lives are like branches of a tree fighting amongst themselves.
But what if there was another way?
What would it look like if all parts of the tree worked together?
I imagined a tree, and thought if the canopy were to flourish and bear fruit and leaves, both the trunk and the roots would have to be strong.
I visualized the roots and thought if one area of the root system was weak, or in loose or toxic soil, then the trunk wouldn’t be stable and the canopy couldn’t flourish. Or what would happen if, ridiculously, one root tried to give away all its water and nutrients to a different tree instead of its own?
(Actually, trees do share nutrients, but for the sake of the metaphor, let’s stick with this…)
I thought, if a flourishing life is like the canopy of a tree, and the trunk could represent our individual purpose and values, then our root systems represent the structures in our lives that support and nourish our steady growth.
What are the structures that the roots could represent?
In my coaching framework, I focus on three main roots systems to help you both move freely and live fully.
Cultivating a Resilient Body
Calibrating Your Internal Compass
Curating Your Natural Element
Bringing your body, mind, and environment into alignment with your true nature.
When forming this framework, I heard this sentence:
When your roots nourish your purpose and values, you create the structural integrity that empowers the flourishing of your envisioned life.
Envision your ideal life. And then a simple assessment we can do often is ask, “Is what I’m doing now nourishing that vision?”
If you feel called to open up to your own internal compass, align your body, and set up a supportive environment for your life, consider booking a free consultation.
