It’s 2022: Go Root Yourself!
…remember the community of your body, breathe in the people who sew you whole….
— Rupi Kaur
Downed trees are not an unusual sight here in the Pacific Northwest this time of year. When I come across one, I marvel at its roots. Lifted out of the ground, they’re like a sculptural puzzle, so intricately twisted and intertwined they appear to be a single piece. Yet each one plays a unique role in the health and well-being of a tree when it’s standing firmly in the ground. And each one is interconnected with other tree roots extending far beyond what I can see or even imagine.
We humans are no less in need of roots and no less interconnected with one another than the trees are (not to mention, with all other life forms). The more we are rooted in what matters to us, the stronger we can grow. The more we nourish our network of relationships, the greater impact we can have on what we most care about.
This past year, though, we’ve all felt buffeted and windblown — leaning precariously one way and then the other, feeling in any moment we might just topple over entirely. But even if you still have one small thread of a root reminding you of what’s possible, you can reground yourself and grow your capacity to reach higher than you might imagine right now.
Starting a New Year is the perfect time to pause and reflect: What strengthens your roots? What amplifies your sense of purpose? What keeps you energized and motivated? What (or who) can help “sew you whole,” as in Rupi Kaur’s poem, so that you remember you are forever connected with something greater than yourself? How you answer those questions will inform everything else you do both professionally and personally this year.
“Root” is where we begin in Cedar Wise Coaching, and it's a place we return to again and again whenever needed. “Root” is also part of an iterative process I call RISE — Root, Inquire, Shift and Embody. In the next few weeks I will elaborate on these other parts of the process. To learn more about RISE now or to sign up for a free “discovery” session, please see www.cedarwisecoaching.com.
Here’s to a healthy, purposeful and deeply-rooted New Year for ALL!
P.S. Keep an eye out for my next blog describing the “Inquire” part of the RISE process.
— written by Elise Miller and published on January 4, 2022