Are you the Oak or the Willow?



Are you the Oak or the Willow?

It’s important to realize that how you deal with life's challenges can determine how you’ll come out on the other side of them.   Will you be stressed out to the point of getting sick or will you ride out the storm virtually unscathed?

So let’s look at the Oak and the Willow trees.  The Oak tree is looked upon as a very sturdy tree that can seemingly weather many storms.   But because they are so rigid when winds become too strong branches can break off.  The Willow on the other hand is very flexible.  Their branches can bend and move with the strongest of wind.  However, any tree without its roots firmly planted can completely topple over. 

So I ask you to ponder these questions…are you an Oak or a Willow?  Are your roots firmly planted?  Are you taking life’s hits and losing branches and being blown over?  Or are you flexible and able to deal with all of life’s crazy changes?  Are you firmly planted with roots of faith or are you whipping around in the stormy wind taking life’s beatings with full force?  

Here are  some tips on how to better adjust to life's ups and downs:

  • Strengthen your roots!  There's nothing like a solid foundation.  Your roots are your network of family, friends and your faith.  Refocus on your blessings instead of placing high emphasis on your problems or losses.   It’s okay and natural to have moments of angst and despair, but you must make the active decision that you won’t remain in that place.   
  • Decide now that for every change that you encounter, you will meditate on all of your positives.  Look at the pros and not just the cons of your situation.  If you truly don’t see that you have any positives, ask someone you trust to help you see them.  
  • Shake off your fear.  It can be scary dealing with change because of the unknown.  But reach deep down in yourself and push forward anyway with courage.  Think through your options, practice patience with others and yourself, and don't allow your pride to keep you from reaching out for help from others.
  • Open your mind to change.  If you accept that change is inevitable, anticipate and embrace it, it will rarely catch you off guard. And don't just perceive change as a bad thing.  All changes that may initially appear bad, don't have to end up as a negative.  Many changes that occur are blessings in disguise. 

The ability to adjust and let go of old ways (“this is how it’s always been done”), letting go of your need to control everything or everyone, and letting some things work out in their own time will reduce the amount of  stress that you will experience.  This is a much healthier way of coping.

Like anything else  practice, practice, practice of acceptance, tolerance, and patience will help many of those struggles become easier to deal with.  Be the Willow.


Comments

  1. Dutch PatrickOctober 23, 2011 at 5:52 AM

    you gotta break the patern of negative thinking. every change , how negative it may appear, has it's benefit or use for ya. maybe not right away, but in the long run it will. so don't shake the changes but embrace them, cause you will benefit from them.

    ReplyDelete

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