Nature is indeed a healer and great at giving you a clear mind.
When I have stressful days at work I get home and head straight to the local park and the bay. The fresh breeze and the sound of the gentle waves restores my peace in no time.
The tree metaphor works beautifully, and it makes me think about how we view "failure" in writing compared to other careers. In sales, no one questions the dozens of calls that don't convert. They're expected steps toward success. Scientists don't face criticism for the fifty experiments that fail before one works. Every career has those leaves, those efforts that seem unproductive on the surface but are actually vital parts of the journey.
But writing has this unique quality that sets it apart. Unlike a salesperson who knows their target market or a scientist who can define their hypothesis, writers often can't predict who their true audience will be. Our "leaves" don't just nurture our own growth, they float out into the world, waiting to connect with the right reader at the right moment. Sometimes a piece we thought would change the world barely causes a ripple, while something we wrote almost as an afterthought becomes someone's favorite book.
In your case (and mine I suppose) those leaves aren't just protecting future buds, they're also carrying seeds of connection that might take root in places we never expected. Every piece of writing, whether it finds its audience tomorrow or years from now, is part of that greater purpose.
Success isn't just about the spring buds we can see forming or the journey itself, it's about all the ways our words might nurture growth we'll never even know about.
I love that you went with the visual image of the tree but took it even further. That's a good point about how those seeds of connection carry on - taking root and going where we would never imagine. I didn't even think of that but it makes so much sense. This is why I love it here on Substack. I learn to think outside of my own little box. But yes, that makes perfect sense and gives me more to really ponder in my own journey. Thank you so much for sharing that.
This is awesome, Michelle.
Nature is indeed a healer and great at giving you a clear mind.
When I have stressful days at work I get home and head straight to the local park and the bay. The fresh breeze and the sound of the gentle waves restores my peace in no time.
I wish it was warmer here! Today is 20 something so it’s a bit too cold. But I love walking when I can. It does a lot for your mind and soul.
The tree metaphor works beautifully, and it makes me think about how we view "failure" in writing compared to other careers. In sales, no one questions the dozens of calls that don't convert. They're expected steps toward success. Scientists don't face criticism for the fifty experiments that fail before one works. Every career has those leaves, those efforts that seem unproductive on the surface but are actually vital parts of the journey.
But writing has this unique quality that sets it apart. Unlike a salesperson who knows their target market or a scientist who can define their hypothesis, writers often can't predict who their true audience will be. Our "leaves" don't just nurture our own growth, they float out into the world, waiting to connect with the right reader at the right moment. Sometimes a piece we thought would change the world barely causes a ripple, while something we wrote almost as an afterthought becomes someone's favorite book.
In your case (and mine I suppose) those leaves aren't just protecting future buds, they're also carrying seeds of connection that might take root in places we never expected. Every piece of writing, whether it finds its audience tomorrow or years from now, is part of that greater purpose.
Success isn't just about the spring buds we can see forming or the journey itself, it's about all the ways our words might nurture growth we'll never even know about.
I love that you went with the visual image of the tree but took it even further. That's a good point about how those seeds of connection carry on - taking root and going where we would never imagine. I didn't even think of that but it makes so much sense. This is why I love it here on Substack. I learn to think outside of my own little box. But yes, that makes perfect sense and gives me more to really ponder in my own journey. Thank you so much for sharing that.