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Like a tree, our
growth depends upon our ability to soften, loosen, and shed defenses we no
longer need. Trees grow up through their branches and
down through their roots into the earth. They also grow wider with each
passing year. As they do, they shed the bark that served to protect them but
now is no longer big enough to contain them. In the same way, we create
boundaries and develop defenses to protect ourselves and then, at a certain
point, we outgrow them. If we don’t allow ourselves to shed our protective
layer, we can’t expand to our full potential. Trees need their protective bark to enable
the delicate process of growth and renewal to unfold without threat.
Likewise, we need our boundaries and defenses so that the more vulnerable
parts of ourselves can safely heal and unfold. But our growth also depends
upon our ability to soften, loosen, and shed boundaries and defenses we no
longer need. It is often the case in life that structures we put in place to
help us grow eventually become constricting. Unlike a tree, we must consciously decide
when it’s time to shed our bark and expand our boundaries, so we can move
into our next ring of growth. Many spiritual teachers have suggested that our
egos don’t disappear so much as they become large enough to hold more than
just our small sense of self — the boundary of self widens to contain people
and beings other than just “me.” Each time we shed a layer of defensiveness
or ease up on a boundary that we no longer need, we metaphorically become
bigger people. With this in mind, it is important that we take time to
question our boundaries and defenses. While it is essential to set and honor
the protective barriers we have put in place, it is equally important that we
soften and release them when the time comes. In doing so, we create the space
for our next phase of growth. |
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