We are all tree climbers

We live.
We think.
We eat.
We love.
We hate.
We sing.
We sleep.
We work.
We smile.
We cry.
We climb.

It came to me as an idea, as I was thinking of all the different trees we have to climb in life.
The love tree,
the money tree,
the career tree,
the sex tree,
the family tree,
the intellectual tree,
the tree of stupidity. (Yes, we all have our moments)

The list goes on, endlessly, in every possible way we find it useful to apply the tree metaphor.

In every tree we start at the bottom (except the stupidity one where some of us are already at the top from the beginning.) For some the route to the top is an easy escapade from the word “go”, while others have to struggle through jagged branches and unfriendly twigs. At times we find ourselves stuck, terrified and unable to move and if we don’t overcome the obstacles we meet we’ll only make it half way.

Not long ago, I was on top of the love tree. I was happy and naïve, moving oceans, mountains, countries. It was a wonderful feeling. What happened? I fell, badly, straight to the ground, literally, as a scooter in Greece went sliding. I hurt my knees. I have scars. And now what?

I’m scared of climbing. I’m scared of riding scooters. I’m scared of believing. I’m sure many can relate to this scenario.

How does fear serve us? What happens next?

We become wall-builders, and damn good ones. We trick ourselves into thinking that we don’t feel and we don’t believe. Believe in what? Love? What is that after all? Some of us upgrades to a fort. Others are lucky enough to meet someone who either has the ability to blow walls apart or make the wall-builders lower their defence. But, it takes a lot for a wall-builder to stop building.

I want to share some wise words from an amazing woman that I met through a friend one night, and hopefully some of us will put down our nails and hammers.

She asked me the question: What is the worst thing that can possible happen from opening up your heart to someone and getting hurt? She didn’t want me to answer the question, because she already had the answer.

Closing your heart.

It made me think of what happened to the little kid who would still climb trees or get back on the bicycle though her legs were covered in bandages and bruises?

Let’s lift our feet off the ground and climb. It’s feels so much better.