Want Success? Grow Deeper Roots
Spring is in full swing; my itchy eyes and constant sneezing are proof of it! Maybe because the sun finally came out, or maybe the shift from winter to spring brings growth all around us that I’ve had my mind on nature quite a bit. It has me reflecting on how our lives are parallel or similar to what happens in nature. For this reason, I’m starting a series on nature.
I like taking walks around Lake Chabot. There’s a path that I walk up where towards the top of the path, there’s a big tree. My favorite thing to do is to sit on the tree somewhere and just take in the sounds and smells of nature. While I’m sitting there, I inevitably start to admire the size of it. This got me curious about how a tree can grow so big. Once I started looking into it, it made a lot of sense, but I didn’t immediately realize that the bigger the tree, the bigger the roots.
You see, the roots of a tree play a crucial role in its height and overall growth. They anchor the tree in the soil, absorb water and nutrients, and provide structural support for the trunk and branches. It made me think about the human equivalent, and where I’ve landed is this: our level and depth of personal development become the roots of our overall success.
I’d like to touch briefly on five of the functions of the roots and the human equivalent because each point could be its own article, but here is the basic idea.
Stability and support: The roots create stability for the tree, and the more you’ve developed, the more stability you’ve created in your life. I think of this like working out. The stronger you are, the harder it is for others to move you. If you develop yourself well, you’re less likely to be knocked off course in life and more likely to make it to your goal.
Water and nutrient uptake: The roots absorb necessary things for the tree to thrive. With personal development, as you learn more of the things you need to learn, you get better at learning those things. Once I started reading, reading more became natural. If reading makes me smarter, then I’m just going to continue to get smarter and faster.
Soil quality: The roots of a tree can improve the quality of the soil, promoting better water infiltration, soil structure, and nutrient availability. When you become better, so does the environment around you.
Root competition: The roots of trees compete with each other and other plants for resources, such as water and nutrients. In human terms, these might be naysayers or people who don’t want to see you succeed, or even competitors. The more developed you are, the less competition you’ll naturally have.
Environmental conditions: The roots of a tree can sense and respond to environmental conditions, such as drought, flooding, and soil compaction. Environmental stress can affect the growth of a tree and limit its height. Life happens to all of us. The more developed you are, you still are affected by hardships, but it becomes easier to bounce back from whatever life might throw at you.
Now, the five points don’t line up perfectly with how we live life, and I’m sure other examples could work as well, but as I mentioned, these are points of inspiration for how I’m looking at living my life. I’m imagining the size of my roots and seeing if I can make it bigger (go figure, I’m a guy, what else would I try to do?).
So now the question I want to ask is, what kind of roots do you need to develop? Personal development spans all aspects of life. Is it the root of your business? Your marriage? Your spiritual life? What do you need to do to develop it?
If you’re not sure where to start, please take a look at my Wheel of Life exercise. It’s a simple exercise to get some clarity on where to start. You can find it here: https://www.kevinkoocoach.com/wheel-of-life1.
As always, let me know your thoughts!
Coach Kev helps people find calm, clarity, and confidence in their life while growing the biggest and deepest roots he can. Contact him at kevinkoocoaching@gmail.com, or follow on IG and YouTube @kevinkoocoaching
