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Peeling Away The Layers Trees
Shedding Their Bark
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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Peeling Away The Layers Trees Shedding
Their Bark
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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