Be like Mags

I’m sitting here at my Mac with Mags. She’s teaching me about being. The art of BEING.

She spends a lot of time standing still and it looks as though that’s a passive experience but she reassures me that it’s far from it.

She’s built a stable network of close contacts that she nourishes continually simply by her BEING.

Her act of being includes not just standing there in stillness, but very much more than that. She's actively sharing her nourishment with others. She is continually giving of her best in her connections.

She communicates with network by sending out the signals that are appropriate as she has needs or things change in her environment and she needs to send out a warning.

She is showing me that the simple act of BEING is also the act of GIVING. It’s an active process. An important part of her BEING who she is, includes her generosity of GIVING.

Does she worry that she won’t receive what she needs to continue to be who she is? Not at all. Mostly her needs are met because she is in a supportive environment and has developed a supportive network. If she has needs that are not being met so readily, she simply signals to her environment.

When she is thirsty, she is given water. When she needs nourishment, her network provides that for her.

Mags is my resident and magnificent Magnolia tree.

We know that trees have root systems that share nutrients and act as the tree’s nervous system. Feeling into the environment and feeding that info back to the tree.

Did you know that the same neurotransmitter molecules that we produce in our nervous system to enable cells to communicate with each other, are also produced by trees at the end tips of their roots?

Her leaves also sense the environment continually. She puts out warning vapours if something is attacking her, and she even puts out vapours that seed rain clouds and invite rain.

If that fails, and let’s face it, she needs a forest to be seeding rainclouds for the clouds to respond and we don’t have many of those left anymore, she droops her leaves and signals to me that she’s thirsty.

Recent research has demonstrated that trees emit sounds of joy, fear and pain into their environment. We may not be able to hear them, but those of her kind most certainly can, and respond.

In spite of everything, nature has a drive to thrive.

We too are nature. What I have learned from mags is that my focus on worrying about not having or receiving enough, about reaching for more, all this effort is misguided.

Mags doesn’t worry about that.

The act of BEING who she is, standing there, sharing nourishment, as well as interacting with and communicating with her environment, supports her network. Then asking when she needs to, ensure all her needs are provided for.

We might do well to be more like Mags. What are your thoughts?

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Meet Josie

Relational Life Coach, Gestalt Psychotherapist

Together we’ll explore obstacles to achieving, thriving and living well. My work is evidenced informed and trauma informed.

We are resourceful beings, and each have the innate ability to thrive. You are welcome to seek more information here. And you can make a time here to connect here. Let's talk.