I read this post by Daily Om the other day, and smiled. I love trees, especially looking up through the trees to the sky above. I love seeing the branches sway in the breeze. But more than that, I love the resilience of trees.
Have you ever seen a tree that has grown around an obstacle? Or noticed the way they heal over when a branch is broken or trimmed? I truly believe people have those same abilities. We grow through the obstacles that life tosses our way. We heal over old injuries, whether physical, mental, or emotional - and come out stronger on the other
side. When you study the rings of an old tree, you can see the results of the challenges that tree has weathered. Similarly, as humans we weather life's challenges and we wear the results in who we are.
So how can you be like a tree? Or in other words, how can you build resilience to thrive like a tree? Resilience doesn't just happen. It takes focus and purposeful thought. Each of us has an innate capacity to use stress and transform it into opportunity. We just need to tap into that capacity to move from reacting to resilience and thriving.
Do you have strategies to cope positively with challenges? When I am physically feeling the effects of stress, my tendency is to eat too much and rely on sweets - but I have found it more effective to do yoga, take a walk or find ways to connect with nature. Maybe you feel stress more emotionally - do you act out your answer, get stuck in those feelings, or do you approach it with positive self-talk and a sense of joy? If your challenge is related to your work, do you respond by avoiding it, gossiping or complaining - or do you find ways to take the lead, support your colleagues, craft your work in a way you enjoy?
These are just a few examples of ways we can become more resilient. There are hundreds of tools at our disposal that will help us be more like those old resilient trees. Find those that work best for you, and practice them regularly. You will find yourself thriving before you know it!