“I feel like I’m in a season of shedding,” I said to my coach during a recent session.
“I’m not really sure what that means," I continued, "but it's not like an active release or letting go. It feels more like a subtle sloughing off."
She paused (note: such a good coaching move).
“Do you know why trees lose their leaves as the weather gets colder?” she asked.
As I peered out my large bedroom window which overlooks a wooded area behind my house, I realized I actually had no idea why trees lose their leaves as the weather gets colder. I just knew that it happened like clockwork every autumn and meant a lot of time spent raking the yard.
“Trees shed leaves to conserve their energy to get through the winter. Through spring, summer, and fall, they have been giving nutrients to the leaves and sharing their resources with all of the creatures that depend on them for food and shelter, but they shift to prioritize self-preservation to get through the colder months. They instinctively know that they will be getting less sunlight so they focus on strategic and intentional conservation of nutrients and water.”
And, then she said something that took my breath away.
“The leaves fall because the trees take back their power.”
Now it was my turn to pause. The flood of emotions it evoked had rendered me momentarily speechless.
The leaves fall because the trees take back their power.
No guilt.
No anxiety.
No sentimentality.
The trees don't worry about hurting the leaves’ feelings or disappointing the birds, who must look elsewhere for food.
The trees unapologetically put their own needs first and trust that this shift will facilitate not only their own survival in the short term, but benefit the entire ecosystem in the long run.
It's almost like the trees are modeling for us that healthy boundaries are essential for growth and resilience.
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