Insights from Admiring a Tree

As you know, I have been up in Northern California visiting family for the 4th of July. I have been up in the mountains, north of Sacramento, on some property that my family has owned for generations. As a child, my brother and I would spend every single summer up there, fishing, catching tadpoles, and riding motorcycles all over the countryside. I first rode on a motorcycle when I was 2 years old, sitting on my father's lap. Then I first drove one when I was 10 years old. Now as an adult looking back, I can confirm without hesitation that my parents were completely crazy to allow this... :) My nephew is now 4 years old and rides on my brother's motorcycle. Every time he gets near one, he thinks he has died and gone to heaven. I, having cultivated much more caution as an adult, worry about the safety of someone so young. Then I stand back and laugh, since as a child if anyone had told me I was too young to ride a dirt bike I would have surely orchestrated their demise... sometimes we truly have to laugh at the folly of it all! In all seriousness, though, it was a truly wonderful place to spend the summers and was instrumental in creating me to be the nature-lover that I am today. One morning while away, I woke up very early, 4 am, before anyone else was awake. For anyone who has a large family, you probably know how busy and noisy it can get with everyone talking, running around, etc. I love the early morning hours to relish the silence and beauty of nature, greeting the new day along with the birds. The early morning seems to feed the contemplative in me, nourishing my heart and soul. It was in these early morning hours that I sat quietly, sipping my freshly-brewed green tea, and contemplated a nearby pine tree. It is amazing what you can learn from a tree when you stop and pay attention. Next time you wake up early, see if you can sneak outside, listen to the birds, and commit to recreating each day anew. I am going to be blogging all this week on insights I gathered from watching a tree, so check back for more info! Oh, btw - My new audio course is finally ready! I am running a special offer this week only, until July 15th. Check it out at: http://breakfreebeauty.com/awakening_the_feminine.php Wishing you all peace, love, beauty, and abundance in your life.