There are so many kinds of trees. I recognized this week how few of them I can name.
I can spot a redwood, or is that a sequoia?
Of course I know a maple leaf (thank you, Canada). But a Japanese maple?
And that Bay laurel? The leaf looks familiar, just not the whole tree.
And on it goes.
It doesn’t matter if I know the difference between the trees around me. Nothing is at stake.
But if I lose sight of their individuality – if I can’t see the tree for the forest – then I am choosing willful blindness over appreciation and awareness.
And trees, without judgment, defensiveness or retaliation, are a safe place to practice how I might think about other people.
DAVID BERRY is the author of “A More Daring Life: Finding Voice at the Crossroads of Change” and the founder of RULE13 Learning. He speaks and writes about the complexity of leading in a changing world.
