If you follow my blog you’ll know that many times I talk about looking to Nature for answers to life’s mysteries. For me, no matter the question, if I spend time in the woods I’ll find the answer.

Nature has a wisdom to it that can teach us so much- if we pay attention.

The aspen tree is the perfect example. The leaves of the quaking aspen have an unusual ability to twist and bend to protect the trees from severe winds. Their twisting motion helps the tree to dissipate the energy more uniformly throughout the canopy- to reduce the stress on the tree. Additionally, the quaking movement is thought to aid in the tree’s growth, because the constant movement increases the intake of air by the leaves. Lastly, moving the leaves increases the ability for sunlight to shine on the lower leaves, thereby improving the rate of photosynthesis for the trees.

Or perhaps I should say TREE (singular).

Aspens are unique in that a forest of trees can be actually one tree. Aspens grow in large colonies derived from a single seedling and spread the roots to create new trees. The new saplings may appear as far as 30-40 meters from the parent tree, yet they are a part of the same system. The individual trees may live 40-150 years above the ground but the roots can live for thousands of years. There is one colony in Utah that is believed to be over 80,000 years old! Aspen colonies can even survive forest fires because their roots are so well protected.

And because the colony is actually one system, they are quite generous to what could appear to be ” another tree”. If a tree on one side of the forest is thirsty, the trees will work in unison to pass water through the root system to the ailing tree from one that is in an area where water is more abundant. If another needs nutrients or minerals, again it will be passed through the root system from one tree to the one in need. How cool is that?

Imagine a world where we all acted like aspen trees….

- Recognize and appreciate that movement helps us grow.

- Move aside to help and encourage the sunlight to shine on those below us.

- Share energy and stress with one another as a unit- so that we can better handle the ups and downs of life.

- When someone is in need, share our abundance, knowing that as a part of the whole, we can never truly be in need.

- Know that we are all one, with no need for competition.

- Know that our roots are deep and can withstand even the worst of disasters.

Just like the aspen tree, we are all connected to one another at the source of our being. The basic premise of all religions is that we are one. We are all brothers and sisters, just like the aspen tree. We are all a part of something so much greater than our individual selves. We are connected by our roots.

For me, in this realization, there is beauty and there is peace. Peace in knowing that we are not alone. Peace in knowing that even when the winds of life are cold and blowing hard, all we need to do is turn our leaves and allow the colony- our community- to shoulder the burden with us, for we are all connected.

On those beautiful, easy days filled with the warm sunshine, remember to step aside and allow the sun to shine on those less fortunate.

Nature does have a lot to offer, if we pay attention. I’m going for a walk in the woods today to see what lessons Nature has in store for me. Please share your insights with our community- your fellow aspen trees. And just like that drink of water shared from one part of the colony to another, if one of us shares a nugget of wisdom and passes it through our roots to the other “trees”, we all benefit. I like being an aspen tree.

If I were to ask you, “How are you today?”, the overwhelming majority of you would say, “I’m fine”. Our society has trained us to think that is the right answer. But when you think about that response, it has little meaning.

I believe that when someone asks “How are you today?”, they are looking for a way to start a conversation. Sometimes they sincerely want to know . The problem is the question has lost it’s meaning and people expect you to answer with “I’m fine, thank you”.

A few months ago I wrote a blog sharing how I no longer say “I’m fine”, but instead, respond with “I’m grateful”. It always catches people off guard and initiates conversation. They leave our exchange thinking about the things they too are grateful for.

When I wrote the blog, I shared my philosophy on this question with my friend Joe. I saw him this morning and he shared with me that for the past few months he’s been using my example of saying something other than “Fine”, and has had some interesting results. As Joe said, “People that are truly interested in you will respond (when you say something other than ‘fine’) and people who aren’t interested, won’t. Their answer is a good way to judge whether they are interested in you or not.”

I tried it with my friends on Twitter and asked….

If you were to answer “How are you today?” in one word right now, what’s your response? I am…. (for a blog- thank you!)

Here are the responses from a great bunch of interactive tweeps (who would be great to follow on Twitter):

Hopeful!

Happy the sun is out!

Thankful

Determined!!

Celebrating!

A little behind

Blessed

Crazy maisie!

Victorious!

Fabulous!

BLESSED!

Inspired

Pensive

Excited

Marvelous!

Prayful

Disgruntled

Outstanding

Happy :-

Celebrating!

Growing

Happy!

Fortunate

Sooo sleepy

Jammin’

Content+agitated

Hopeful

Just to shake things up a bit, try a little experiment with me. The next time someone asks you “How are you?”, answer with something else other than “Fine”. Open the dialogue for real conversation. According to Joe (and I agree with him), you’ll know from their response if they are sincerely interested in your welfare, or if they are just being polite in asking the question.

Also, think of this when you’re the one asking “How are you?” to someone else. Do you really want to know? What other ways can we learn to ask that question to let someone know we sincerely care? How about “What’s the best part of your day so far?”, or “What are you most grateful for today?” Or if you’re feeling really brave, you might ask, “What can I do to improve your day today?”

Warning- If you ask a different question, be ready for some fun answers and a thought-provoking dialogue. ☺

Please share your thoughts with us below- because I really want to know what you’re thinking and interact with you. I really want to know the best and worst things in your life right now, and more importantly, how we can be of service to inspire you to your greatness. We’re here, and we’re listening. Thanks for sharing with us.

It’s an overcast Spring day in Montana, as I’m sitting here by the lake watching the wind create waves on the surface of the water. Clouds are blowing by, slowly. Patches of blue sky can be seem intermittently through the passing clouds. It’s dark, gray and a bit dreary. Raindrops are beginning to fall. If I were just looking at my immediate surroundings it could be quite depressing.
But… in the distance I can see the sun shining brilliantly on a mountain peak. Just at that one place, the clouds part, the mountain breaks through and the peak glows in all its splendor. Unless you’re looking for the mountain it would be easy to miss, amongst all of the gray doom and gloom in front of me.

Just like in life, so many times we focus on what’s around us, get stuck in the clouds and forget that our shimmering mountain top waits for us behind the gray. We start to believe that we are our problems.

Yet, above the clouds our dream is still shining in the sunlight. By focusing on the dream, the winds of change can make the clouds disappear. By focusing on what we want- rather than what seems to be showing up on our path, we’ll reach the mountain top sooner.

For today, rather than looking AT the clouds, look THROUGH them to the light above. That’s the real you. You are not your problems. You are not the clouds.

Remember that your mountain peak- your dream- is basking in the light. Focus on that and soon you’ll be standing on the top of the mountain with the warmth of the sun on your face. Ah, doesn’t that feel good?

My son teases me about my blog and when something happens he’ll say, “Oh no, she’s going to blog about this”. He’s even made a game out of it when we’re hiking where he’ll point to a tree or some other object and say something like, “What would your tree blog be about…”, and off I go. He affectionately makes fun of me, but in a playful way. He seems to think I could write a blog on just about anything.

I’m not sure it that’s a compliment or not, but regardless, it did get me thinking about the question- could I write a blog on anything? Can we be triggered by an inanimate object and find a deeper meaning in life? I believe the answer is yes- it’s there if we’re looking for it.

Yesterday that question was put to the test. I met a new friend in Montana who gave me a gift of a dozen eggs from her free range hens. This was the first time I’ve ever received eggs as a gift and that alone could have been a blog.

But what convinced me I had to blog about this experience is when I got home and opened the lid to this carton of eggs.

The eggs were beautiful and all very different from one another!

According to Forest Gump’s mother, ” Life is like a box of chocolates”, but I believe it’s more like a carton of eggs. Imagine my surprise when I opened the carton expecting to find the “normal” 12 white or brown eggs, but saw 12 eggs of all different colors and sizes. They were grey, tan, terracota, beige, ivory, white and even speckled ones.

I guess I knew eggs weren’t always alike, but I was struck by the variety in color, size, texture and pattern. Granted, they were just eggs, but because of their outward differences yet inner possibility, I was reminded of the days of our lives.

Each day we wake up and expect the day to  to look pretty much the same as the one before it- like a store-bought carton of eggs.

But, what if today were the day for you to open a carton of Montana farm eggs and realize the unique possibility in the next 24 hours? Could today, Sunday, be a brown one or a gray one, or perhaps the speckled one rather than a predictable white one?

Regardless of the color, shape or size, each day is a fragile gift that must be handled with love and care…. as it holds the power for greatness. Each of our days, just like these little eggs, holds the potential of birth, of life… for us and for our dreams.

As we turn our clocks ahead today and spring into Springtime, it’s a great time to look into our metaphorical carton of eggs and see what dreams are there for us to birth.  I’m going for the speckled one today.

Cherish this day for the gift that it truly is- unique, beautiful and full of incredible possibility- just like you. (But for now, I’m off to make an omelette).

p.s. Carol, thank you again for the lovely gift!