We love New Year’s resolutions. We love to say “This year I’m going to do…, and…. And also….”. Then nothing comes of it. Why do we do this? Because we are allowing an external date to determine when we will make a positive change. We love to wait for the right moment instead of creating the right moment.

You’re thinking is wrong. You shouldn’t think of yourself and determine yourself ‘year by year.

What’s better? Think of your journey through life as seasons. Exactly how a tree lives.

We ought to live like trees. What do I mean?

A tree goes through its life surviving the seasons. It doesn’t survive the year; it doesn’t know what a year is, it knows what a season is. And through every season what do we see?

We see trees adapting to their environment, summer, autumn, winter, spring and on repeat. After each season ends we see what?! The tree still standing tall and mighty, unshaken, unmoved. Sure, it’s taken a few beatings on some days of each season but still, it’s as grounded as ever. Ready for what’s next to come. It’s still standing.

How does a tree stand for years on end facing the same battles and still left standing high and mighty? It’s deeply formed roots.

See if we as people work on our foundations and think of them as roots of a tree and the more we work on them, they grow stronger and thicker with training and time. We will have a foundation so strong that we can almost become unshakeable.

No matter which season of life we are in, teenager, college student, apprentice, manager, director, coach, CEO, partner, parent, or grandparent, you will handle anything that comes your way and no matter what hits you. In the end, like a tree, you will be the one left standing, tall and proud, strong and resilient, grounded and firm. Ready for the next thing and the next thing.

Ever heard of the phrase “This too shall pass”? Trees are a panicle example of following this way of being.

“Be formless, shapeless, like water.” Bruce Lee once said and I agree. And at the same time, you should be like a tree.

Be like water, free flowing in its entire natural, and at the same time be like a tree, strong, upright and grounded in all its nature.

Until next time,

Brody