Trees are strong organisms that are naturally adaptable to nature’s ever-changing seasons. Their adaptability is the manifestation of the consciousness that is in all creation. It is that knowing without knowing how they have come to understand that brings about this adaptability. Trees never resist nature’s way or its call. They respond accordingly, and abide by its laws. The trees, as they go through different seasons, never see themselves as victims.
To them, these seasons are what strengthen their roots and stems, and make them tougher to weather future environmental changes.
These changes are what make the trees able to withstand ice-cold weather, extreme heat and storms.
We, humans, on the other hand, have once again, in our quest to become God, strayed away from our natural ways.
Although, unlike the trees, creation has even further granted us the gift of self-awareness, we have gradually lost this awareness.
Instead, we have become entitled with grandiosity. Our every attempt to advance and do the impossible has become not only an over-reach, but a source of self-imposed disgruntlement.
However, just an instant and simple look at nature reminds us of life’s essence. It reminds us that everything we experience has a purpose.
Although we may have our wishes, aspirations and fantasies, these can sometimes come at a greater cost if they veer away from nature’s law.
If we consistently pursue pleasure while doing everything to make pain and discomfort impossible, we may eventually have to endure more painful experiences.
However, if we become adaptable and flexible enough to adjust to life’s socio-economic seasons, we may as well develop superpowers to bend to our reality. Just like the trees lose their leaves without resistance to survive a cold season, we can also be flexible to scale down when the economic environment is unfavourable.
We may, for the time being, have to trade that fuel-guzzling V8 engine for a fuel-efficient sedan.
We may have to swallow our pride to ascend from a double-story house to a condominium, or substitute our favourite pizza meal for ‘pap’ and ‘vleis’.
All these we do with wisdom that it may be necessary for us to upscale once again. We know that this is temporary – and soon, spring will be around the corner, and all is going to be green and brighter again.
However, if we let pride or worry about the possible opinions of others get in the way, we may bear the unnecessary burden of rigidness.
In a hundred years, we and the people whose opinion we care so much about will be non-existent anyway.
*Karlos The Great
E-mail: karlsimbumusic@gmail.com.Uncommon Sense is published bi-weekly in the New Era newspaper with contributions from Karlos Naimwhaka. YouTube channel: Karlos Lokos