The Lessons of the mighty Oak
While visiting Charleston, SC, in November, one of my goals was to check out the 500+ year old Angel oak. My motive to see this tree was more than to just gaze in awe at the majestic beauty of this 66 foot tall wonder that has a trunk circumference of 28 feet, and produces 17,200 sq feet of shade. Perhaps my real purpose in visiting this tree was to gain a little wisdom from her.
The Principle of the Acorn - The acorn already contains the idea and intelligence to become an oak. It’s not an empty shell that has to struggle, figure out how life works, gather a bunch of information to fill itself with and, finally, decide what it wants to be when it grows up. No matter what the good opinion of other trees in the forest, the acorn will never become anything but what’s inside of it—an oak. - Derek Rydall, author of Emergence
Like the acorn, our own life answers are within us. The 'kingdom' is within us (or the 'quantum field', if you will)... where all possibilities exist. Everything that we could ever need, want, or hope for, to fulfill our destiny of greatness is already contained within us in our blueprint.
Society generally teaches us that whatever is missing or lacking in our lives is what we're not getting from others... from governments, from friends, family, teachers, or employers. Could it be that whatever we are lacking in life is the very thing we need to be giving? "Give and to you it shall be given..." - Jesus. Giving cheerfully activates receiving.
Even though we might feel that we haven't been given enough love, respect, attention, or approval, the fact is that nobody can give us anything that we don't already have within us. Whatever is missing in our experience is not based on what hasn't been given to us, but is based on what we haven't discovered within ourselves and activated or expressed. Abundance is within us. What is missing in any circumstance or situation is what we are not giving. We can only keep what we are willing to give away.
You will know that you are emerging into your own unique destiny, when there is a harmonious unfoldment/emergence of events in your life. It is a matter of getting the ego out of the way and surrendering to the life purpose that is waiting to emerge. Let it happen. Don't fight it. Your path will resonate with you and will feel right. Be grateful when you hit brick walls or tough experiences, because that is the sign that you are either on the wrong path and need to make a turn, or that you are ready for a new lesson which will take your faith/consciousness to the next level.
What defines the oak? As I put both of my hands against the old matriarch, I felt the energy of her tingling through my fingers tips, up my arms, and into my body. This old tree went through the American Revolution and Civil War of the mid to late 1700's... Oh, if she could only talk, what stories she could tell of the rich history of the area... the bloodshed, the slavery, the stories of the privileged ruling class of plantation aristocracy. However, none of the history that this oak lived through ever defined her or affected her in a negative way. She never wavered from her original blueprint.
What defines you? Are you defined by the people or circumstances that surround you? Do you allow your past experiences to define who and what you are? Or, do you allow the greatness within to define you?
Why is a southeastern oak not affected negatively by the hurricanes in the area? One reason is because the oak is connected underground via its root system to other oaks, providing strength in numbers...unity, harmony, oneness. As well, its branches and leaves curl giving it resiliency in a storm. Are we resilient, well rooted? Are we able to remain present, yet detached from the drama around us? I talk a little of this in my book and my blog post, the Power of Detachment, the Art of Letting Go.
When does an oak reach its peak? The oak is beautiful in every season and at every stage. Whatever stage we are at in life, is exactly where we need to be at in order to grow into who we are meant to become. Every stage of our emergence is beautiful!
Why does an oak grow gracefully into its destiny, when humans seem to have such a hard time with this? Perhaps it's because we have an ego that always gets in the way, filling us with all kinds of judgments and programs about ourselves and others which hinders our growth. The oak doesn't yearn to be another tree, nor does it take glory or pride in its own beauty... it has no judgments. It accepts what is, and God rightly receives the credit and praise for its beauty. When we learn to get beyond our ego (human nature) and let our life unfold unrestricted, we will flourish gracefully where we are planted... just like the oak. Life will open up with wonder. Our ego can be a wonderful thing when it does what it is intended to do... to activate and express our soul purpose. Otherwise, the ego has its own agenda and will lead us to an unfulfilling life, if left on its own to govern.
Perhaps by understanding the aspects of the law of the acorn, it helps us understand a little of our own being, and how we are actually designed to grow and flourish. The seed knows what to do. All we have to do is let it emerge as it will. We will receive inspirations to take proactive steps forward in total trust/faith, doors will open, flow will begin!
You are perfect the way you were created. Just get out of your own way!
