As the summer heat cooled and autumn tiptoed in, the forest beckoned. I found a place of quiet, reflective, powerful wisdom in the forests.
Standing in the presence of an ancient tree does…something…inexplicable to my soul. It feels like a blend of being a small child in awe of the power of a parent, with the ringing thunderclap reminder to stop over-thinking and let the stress all go.
My brain is usually going a mile a minute. My insatiable curiosity and steady stream of self-talk means I typically overthink everything. I even have a patch on my backpack that says, “Hold On, Let Me Overthink This.”
I used to be ridiculously bad at multiple-choice tests because I could convince myself that, under a particular set of circumstances, any of the answers could be correct. Indecision + Insecurity = bad SAT scores. (Sidebar: I was in the 97% percentile for ACT scores because my overthought verbose explanations were apparently impressive.)
My anxious overthinking has dramatically improved in the past decade, but my brain is all-in on thinking. I’m grateful for that most of the time!
Except when it’s blocking my path forward.
Sometimes, I need to be still, think less, and simply be in the moment. Nothing moves me into that state faster than in a forest with ancient trees.
Wisdom Should be Shared
Often, when I get quiet, I can hear profound wisdom from the universe, my soul, my spirit guides, etc. I have had several of those experiences over the past few weeks, and I think they are worth sharing!
The first big one was Resilience. A firestorm raged through one of California’s best remaining old-growth Coastal Redwood forests in 2020. It’s what made our skies blood red for a few days that year.
I went to that forest recently, and things were initially looking pretty sad and scraggly. Until I noticed how much growth there was! Despite being burned down to their trunks, these giants are growing again, putting out new saplings everywhere.
The wisdom of this forest: fire (aka upheaval) is a normal part of life. Also, you can use these massive disruptions to let all the old stuff burn away and make way for something new to come into your life!
Great-Grandmother Trees
Sometimes, I get a whole vibe from a particular tree! Two trees in my forest adventures felt like what I imagine my great-grandmother was like, based on my Mom’s stories of her: A straight-talking woman with an open heart, a ready laugh, and a taste for adventure.
“You don’t need to know things,” I learned from these two.
My brain is fantastic at connecting the dots between disparate things. Knowing things is something I’m known for, so this was a bit of a wake-up call.
The wisdom of this forest: stay curious but be less certain about things. Remain open, listen well, and seek wisdom instead of knowledge. I’m kinda in love with that!
Healing and Inviting New Growth
My most profound experience in the forests was an intense meeting with unhealed traumas in my body and soul. I did not seek that but was trying to get myself unstuck.
After receiving the wisdom to listen, I found a sweet memory of being loved and adored. On the heels of that memory, I uncovered a well of pure terror.
My father died earlier this year after a long bout with several illnesses. I loved him, and he loved me to the best of his ability. As a young child, I felt love and adoration from him. But as I grew older, his mental health deteriorated, and he decompensated with alcohol, rage, and other addictions.
Over the past decade, I was able to build a better relationship with him, but healing remained out of reach. Now, I must forge ahead and heal without him. Losing him and closing the door on any hope of repair work with him…lots of grief this year.
While in the forest, I knew that this well of terror did not come to re-traumatize me. It came to be brought into the light, met with compassion, and healed. Even if he were still alive and interested in repair work, my father would not have been able to heal that wound.
The wisdom of this forest: You are your own healer.
The journey to healing these wounds will be life-long, and I am not tired of doing the work. Every new layer I uncover is another opportunity for deep healing and release.
Let Go of What’s No Longer Serving You
Autumn is the season of letting go, making room, and expressing gratitude so that we will be ready to embrace the next transformation when the time comes.
For example, maybe you used to go the extra mile for your coworkers because you found self-worth in the acts of service, but now you find yourself feeling resentful. Going the extra mile no longer serves you. Maybe it’s a goal that no longer motivates you or a relationship causing more heartache than joy.
What do you need to let go of? Set the intention and use this season to shed this old growth. It’s time to say, “Thank you for helping me on my journey. With love and gratitude, goodbye.”
I cannot wait for our Culture Catalysts Retreat next week! More wisdom is coming in like a cool mist from the forest near Skamania, and I am so here for it!
