Trees: Energy Transformers

The role of tree leaves is to turn sunlight into energy.  This is truly an amazing feat, which is going on all around us in silence.  As if this was not enough, the roots of a tree nourish it with water and soil nutrients. Trees can grow for hundreds of years, fed with sunlight, water and nutrients. They also act as clean-air filters.  They stand tall through powerful storms and cold winters, only to bloom again in spring. What wonderful beings!

So light and dirt are sources of life!  We enjoy the light-filled emotions, but when it comes to the dark ones, we tend to reject them.  Remember that the earth is made of compost of all sorts, the sources of nutrients, oil, coal, gold and diamonds.  It takes a lot of time and pressure for this to happen.

So maybe we should look at what we consider “dirt” in our lives, the people who hurt us, the painful experiences.  These can be changed into “compost”, a necessary ingredient in transforming our lives.

What it takes is a different perception of daily interactions.  Knowing that “thoughts are things”, we can create peace by viewing our experiences with neutrality rather than from a victim standpoint.  We can try to control our attempts at figuring out the motivations of others—an impossible task. We are in control of the flow of our energy.  We can allow it to dissipate in anger and self-pity or channel it into loving thoughts and actions.

Next time you see a tree, stop and thank it for its gifts of perseverance, beauty, grace, and energy.  Touch its trunk and be grateful for its lessons of transformation and growth.

 

Jacqueline Shuler

April 9, 2019