Learning
is a very natural thing. Everywhere life seeks to unfold and express it beings.
Nature is a wise and profound teacher, and if you pay attention to all it has
to teach, you will discover many great lessons to learn. This article was
inspired by a sermon by Pastor Bode Lawal of Hope Alive Christian Center,
Abuja, about the numerous lessons we can learn from nature.
Nature
is full of wonder, profound designs, systems, and miracles. Hence, my interest
in Redwood tree. Where we may reflect on some life lessons to excel in life. For
many in Africa, redwood will not strike as a common tree type because of its
rarity in the area.
Sequoioideae,
popularly known as redwoods, is most common in the coastal forests of Northern
California and is known for being the largest tree in the world with amazing
qualities humans can reflect on and apply in real life situations to succeed.
1.
REACH FOR THE STARS
Attaining
soaring heights of more than 300 feet, Redwoods are so tall that their tops are
out of sight. The tallest one of all is a towering beauty by the name of
Hyperion, this giant stands at 380.1 feet in height.
You
may have come across the quote “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire” When it comes to setting goals, sometimes it's best to GO
BIG or go home. When
we set a big goal, we build a bottom-up plan to achieve it.
Many
people make the mistake of setting goals that are little. While little goals
are more attainable, they do not provide the motivation to achieve bigger goals.
Failure is so scary to some that they set goals that they have a good chance of
attaining instead of ones that might not materialize.
Instead
of setting goals that you know you can achieve, consider stretching yourself a
bit. Starting out small is fine if it makes you more comfortable. If you meet
the slightly loftier goal, make the next one a little more ambitious, and
continue this pattern with each goal that is reached. Before you know it, you
will be in awe at what you are achieving!
2. LEVERAGE NETWORK
One
might think that such a lofty height of the tree would require deep roots, but
no. The roots only extend down six to twelve feet. But what they lack in depth,
they make up for in breadth. Extending up to 100 feet from the tree’s base,
they intertwine with the roots of others, all holding on to each other, greatly
increasing their stability.
Once
upon a time, being the best in business was all about beating the competition. But
times have changed and the 21st century generation has come to know
the importance of pooling resources for greater success. To buttress the
importance, Young African Leaders Initiative-YALI Abuja hub in their November
face-to-face meet 2019, harped on the importance of collaboration in the 21st
century.
To
stay relevant and achieve greater success, we must come together to create a
collaborative and innovative environment.
3. HAVE YOU GOT THICK SKIN?
Redwood
is known for the deep rosy hue of their surface, the redwoods’ bark is
impressive beyond color. At up to 12 inches thick, it allows the trees to
generally survive forest fires, the bark also do a good job at fending off
damaging insects.
In
your endevours, I advise, don't take things personally and don't let others get
to you.
A thick skin is developed by
evaluating the strength of others opinions based on their stock of knowledge.
If they form their opinions based solely on fear, either of change or being
excelled, resolve to be okay with people thinking negatively of you. Not
everyone’s going to like you. That’s a fact. So why try to make everyone like
you which I consider vain and perhaps leading your life into a miserable
existence in the process?
Instead, think about yourself,
and in terms of your own desires and goals in life. Focus on the people who are
on your side and matter to you, who want for you what you want for yourself.
It is amazing how the very least of things around us inspire
us. It is just another opportunity to rediscover your hidden
strengths and talents.
