“In flood time, you can see how some trees bend, and because they end, even their twigs are safe, while stubborn trees are torn up, roots and all.” Sophocles

“And the wind said: ‘May you be as strong as the oak, yet flexible as the birch; may you stand tall as the redwood, live gracefully as the willow; and may you always bear fruit all your days on this earth.’” Native American Prayer

When I read these two gems one after the other, I knew they were connected and had wisdom to give us.

Let’s imagine ourselves for a moment as trees, our roots in the earth and our branches reaching skyward.

When troubles come our way, when we feel buffeted and wind-blown, when rains come and pour down on us—do we bend or do we break? Do we find ways to bounce back and tap into our resilience or do we simply snap? Think about the last time you hit an obstacle in your writing life—did you bend and find a way around it, or did you let uproot and disorient you?

Is there another way? Can we be “as strong as the oak, yet flexible as the birch”—can we tap into our inner strength and remain rooted, yet resilient? Can we call on our belief that we are on the right path and all will be well? Can we take a leaf from my friend and elite athlete, Terrie Wurzbacher, and simply say, “Everything always works out for me”—and then take the next step?

Can we “stand tall as the redwood, live gracefully as the willow?” Can we lift ourselves up toward the sky—tall with strength and purpose—and yet also cultivate the grace—the calm and easefulness—of the willow as its branches and leaves dance in the wind?

When we bring both strength and resilience to our work, then our creativity blossoms and we bear rich fruit. Let’s harvest our limitless potential as we all write on!

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