I apologize for the long break. It’s been weeks since I’ve listed posted. I needed to practice some self-care, but I’m back to talk more about mental health.
And to start off strong from my break, I wanted to start a series of learning from nature that can be applied to our own mental health. And to start off this series, I wanted to talk about the mighty Sequioa.
For those who might be unfamiliar of what a Sequoia is, it is one of the tallest trees in the world. They are found in Sequioa National Park, almost two hours north of Bakersfield, CA. These trees can live up to 3000 years. And these trees can grow to more than 300 feet (91.44 meters).
And furthermore, for the seed of a Sequoia to grow, a forest fire needs to occur. The forest fire helps release the seed from the cone that encases it and helps nourish the soil for which lets it grow.
So what lesson can we learn from this mighty tree?
Resilience. When one thinks of forest fires, we think of destruction and death. But for the Sequioas, it is vital for their continued existence. And for those trees that have existed for centuries, these trees have endured countless forest fires.
For many of us, we endure our own “forest fires”, trials so difficult that we wonder if we can endure for much longer. But what we forget is that resilience helps us continue forward. Resilience helps one stand firm through whatever may come our way. And once these “fires” are extinguished, we endure our own growth- learning what makes us who we are. We are in a constant cycle of endurance, resilience, and growth. We learn what coping skills work, who will be part of our support system, and in what ways we can disclose our struggles and to whom. And that’s what makes resilience to our mental health.
We need it for our own growth.
Let me know what you though of this.
I will try to have a more consistent release of posts.
-J
life;better 