Stand tall and strong in the face of life’s storms? Sounds like what we’ve been taught in most cases. But… is there another way of traversing a trial in life? A wiser way?
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Welcome to A Musing, I’m Diego.
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Today’s episode. Bend.
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I’ve lived in Florida since I was about eight years old.
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Florida is known for more than just, you know, Florida man.
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It’s also known for beautiful beaches, delicious oranges, awesome theme parks, Tony Montana, many things.
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Now, having lived in Miami and now in Tampa Bay, one thing that’s been in my immediate surroundings most of my life are palm trees.
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I was recently reminded under a tornado warning, which is, you know, Tuesday here in Florida, about how peculiar palm trees are.
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I’d seen this a thousand times before.
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I’ve been through my share of hurricanes and tropical storms and tornadoes over here.
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And one thing you’re always going to see is the iconic look of palm trees being battered by ridiculously strong winds.
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But unlike oak or pine trees, which you’ll find laying on the pavement or collapsed on someone’s rooftop after a hurricane, palms have a secret to surviving hurricane force winds.
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While their tree cousins are standing tall and rigid trying to desperately hold on to their roots, the palm tree simply bends.
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Most trees grow by layers every year or rings.
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If you cut a tree trunk horizontally, you’ll be able to measure its age based on the amount of rings that have grown each year.
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But not the palm tree.
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At the cellular level, the palm is malleable.
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Some of its cells can even flex and then return to their previous position.
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Also, notice the branches and leaves of a palm tree.
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They’re not rigid either.
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A flexible spine or branch with free flowing leaves.
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Palm branches resemble giant feathers more than traditional tree branches.
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This unconventional structure is what allows them to not resist the wind, but rather bend at its will.
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Not fully, but just enough to survive a category 5 hurricane.
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Now, branches might break off, and yeah, leaves might be shed.
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The direction and shape of the trunk might even be permanently altered, but it can survive.
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Hurricane season isn’t a long-year threat here in Florida.
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Just like the storms that pound our lives aren’t a constant factor in our lives, at least not in most cases.
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Usually, rough times, challenges, trials, and loss are a cyclical element in life.
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You’ll have times of peace and quiet where your finances are in order, your health is on point for you and your loved ones.
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The car turns on each morning.
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You and your significant other are getting along great, and they might have just even aired the new season of your favorite TV show.
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And then the Hurricane Watch is announced.
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A weird symptom, perhaps.
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A national event hits the economy.
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You check on your grades and they’re starting to drop.
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Your significant other is acting strange.
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Then comes the Hurricane Warning.
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And by that point, it’s imminent.
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It’s here.
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A diagnosis?
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An economic downturn?
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You fail that class?
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You find out they’re cheating?
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How do you normally react in these kinds of circumstances?
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Do you stand tall in your pride, offended, arrogant?
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Do you ball up in pity and cry foul?
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Do you care more about how you’ll look if you fail than about learning from your experience?
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Do you hold on to your plan because your plan is your plan and you’re not gonna give it up no matter what?
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The funny thing is that standing rigid in the face of a storm seems like the thing we’re supposed to do.
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But rigidity and inflexibility don’t equal perseverance.
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Nature has a type of built-in wisdom, and observing through my window as palm trees bend in the midst of tornado strength winds, I was reminded that sometimes it’s wise to bend.
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Sometimes resilience is a must.
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Living to fight another day, walking away from the battle with a lesson learned can be the shift you need to find a more fruitful course in life, or perhaps in just a given situation.
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Try this next time you see the storm coming.
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Brace yourself for the challenge ahead, not by standing your ground and being unwilling to waver.
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Feel the winds of change around you, and see where they’re headed.
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Could it be that life is trying to point you in a new direction in your relationship, your career, your habits, the company you keep, your convictions?
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Try not standing rigid.
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Instead, bend a little, just enough to see where that storm is trying to point you.
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Perhaps it’s time that you dug down to your cellular level, and developed adaptability and resilience.
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Become malleable enough for growth and personal evolution.
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This unconventional way of facing a tough situation can allow you to not resist, but rather bend in the face of change.
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Not fully, but just enough to survive the toughest trials that come your way.
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Sure, some bad habits might break off, and some unhealthy relationships might be shed.
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The direction and shape of your plans might even be permanently altered, but you will survive.
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Let me know how that goes.
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You can write me at contactamusing at gmail.com.
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Remember to subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs it.
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Catch you in the next episode.