CONNECTIONS AS A LIFE SKILL

Part of my last week was spent in what I like to describe as wearing my half empty lenses and today I wanted to share what I did to reclaim my half full lenses (from the half full/empty glass analogy😊.

What I did to change my perspective.

So let me begin by asking;

How do you safeguard your wellbeing when life seems so unpredictable?

How do you begin to regain a sense of safety in the midst of so much uncertainty?

What are the practical things you can do to feel less vulnerable?

Allow me to share a lesson from nature that always speaks to me.

The Redwood Trees of California

The Redwood trees are found in California.

They are evergreen, long-lived trees living 1200 – 2200 years.

They are the tallest trees in the world some measuring 380m as of 2017 with a diameter of 8.9 meters.

Each year they grow by about 1.5 inches.

These trees have endured devastating earthquakes, massive windstorms, fires, and even frigid blizzards.

The most surprising thing is that these giant trees do not have deep roots. How is this even possible?

What could be their secret? …

The secret of the Redwood tree is found underground…

You see, the roots of the redwood tree do not go downwards but outwards seeking the roots of other Redwood trees and when they meet other roots, they intertwine making a permanent bond with each other. Every Red wood tree is intertwined with other trees directly or indirectly.

Unity is their strength!

They reach out and care for each other. Even a newborn baby redwood tree with tiny little roots is given shelter and strengthened by ancient giant Redwood trees.

For me this reminds me the importance and necessity of having a community of people who look out for each other. This for me makes having connections an important life skill!

We are as strong as the people we have around us…our support system. It is also said that we are an average of the 5 people we hang around.

As a psychotherapist and coach, it’s easy to forget that I also need support and encouragement on an ongoing basis.

I have intentionally created connections that prop me when I need propping, advise when I need advice but most importantly friends and family that will speak into my life even when it’s not what I think I need.

Hearing one friend tell me that it’s ok not to be ok as long as it is for a short duration of time(will cover at a later article when it is not ok not to be ok), another encouraged me to take some time off to rest and yet another sent me some soothing music, helped me feel loved and cared for. Sometimes this is all we need!

So as we step into a the new week, allow me to gently nudge you to be more intentional about the connections you keep.