Advice from a Tree
It was one of those days when the winds of life were blowing hard. Deeply questioning “why am I here? What is the purpose of my life? How can I make a difference?” I knew that if I could get outside, my problems would seem smaller and life would seem much greater. I walked along the sidewalk and up to an old cottonwood tree that I had passed by many times. This time, I stopped. I leaned against its bark to ask for advice. It shared with me its beautiful wisdom: “Stand tall and proud… Be content with your natural beauty… go out on a limb!” This simple advice from a tree began to smooth out the complexities and challenges I faced.
The wisdom I received from the tree became the poem “Advice from a Tree,” and that’s how it all started. I wanted to share my love of trees with my daughter and to put down in writing what really mattered to me. I created nature themed Advice products, with the poem inscribed. It was clear that many people were seeking some wise advice, too. The river, mountain, garden, and hummingbird wanted to share their advice too; they offered their wise teachings. Then bear, moose, owl, horse, dog, butterfly—and now more than 50 different advice-givers all offer their true nature.
The journey continues each day, going into the wilderness and bringing back the wisdom to honor nature, honor myself, and offer a path for others to more fully live their true nature. We all have our story to tell, and our story to live.