“All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.  The only lasting truth is change….” -Octavia Butler

As I was enjoying walking in my neighborhood in Chicago during the fall season, I was taking notice of the changing colors and annual cycle of the trees. Specifically, how we as humans could apply the lessons of the trees to our own lives.

First and foremost, trees embrace change, as a matter of fact, welcome it.  Each year as the fall season approaches, the color of the leaves on many trees begin to change color.  Eventually the leaves fall completely off the tree, shrivel, die, and become part of the nourishment for the soil. The tree then is subject to the harsh conditions of the winter, with no protection.  In the spring, new saplings form and budding new life springs forth and grows.  The tree takes on a new coat of leaves, and the cycle begins anew.   The trees grow taller and wider, towards the sun.

Like trees, moment to moment, whether we do nothing or leap into unknown waters, our lives are in a constant state of flux.  Internally, we have a constant stream of thoughts, emotions, and sensations we experience by simply being alive, human, and in our bodies. The outside world we interact with every day is churning along with or without us. We can’t stop or change the external forces from bearing down on our day-to-day existence.  But we can learn to engage and respond to those changes both internally and externally through the practice of mindfulness.  Through mindfulness, we can learn to engage with these changes in a wise, compassionate, and kind way as we navigate things like relationships, jobs, and our health.  In this way, no matter what the season or weather, like the trees, we can be rooted, grounded, and resilient. Present, alive, and growing. All part of this beautiful precious life we are given.