Top 5 Lessons from 200+ Days of Tree Hugging: Tuning into the Wisdom of Trees

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”

Robert Collier

Today will be my 211th consecutive day of tree hugging. My goal is to hug trees over 377 consecutive days: sometimes I hug more than one tree and on the occasional day, I have missed hugging a tree, which I make up and hug more trees the following day. 

Consistency adds energy & passion to any project or goal

Both the trees and the consistency itself have taught me an infinite number of things, but these five I am sharing today may have something to say specifically to you.

I created this project as a follow up to another 377 Day Consistency Experiment/Adventure. That time, I wrote haiku poetry. Tree hugging has proved more challenging. I created a different set of rules this time because the context was entirely different.

I hadn’t expected to become an expert in so many different kinds of trees. I hadn’t expected so much in my life to change in 2021. I hadn’t expected to feel frustrated or blah so much of the time and having the trees to pull me up and into the world has made a big difference.

1. Affection and acknowledgment have healing properties. The mutuality between the giver of the acknowledgment and the receiver of the gift of acknowledgment expands when we stay present to it.
2. While we may think something will last forever, it won’t. Enjoy, document, share and when the time comes, grieve with your whole heart. Deciduous trees have an annual grief and healing process – helps us humans who don’t have that experience.
3. Water is life. Living in California means I am witnessing a lot of withered trees. 
4. Tree hugging is a form of prayer. With feet grounded in the soil, body connected with the tree, mind and heart open – gratitude for the Creator and what has been created, including oneself.
5. When we listen closely, the trees speak (and sometimes they call out to us.). Yesterday, a Ponderosa Pine scarred and burned by a lightning strike gave me comfort – and I believe I gave comfort, also. A Pistache tree at a desert rest stop also called to be hugged even though “my plan” was different. I am so grateful I listened and acted upon what I heard.

By the time you read this blog post, my joy for consistency and for hugging trees may have expanded to 250 trees or 300 trees or more. Small efforts, repeated – in different spaces, places and contexts, have made an enormous difference in my life this year whether dealing with layers of grief, disappointment or practical matters like building my business.

And now, for you: Activate Your Passion – contemplate, write or create from these questions.

Do you have a favorite kind of tree?

Have you hugged a tree lately?

Julie Jordan Scott inspires people to experience artistic rebirth via her programs, playshops, books, performances and simply being herself out in the world.  She is a writer, creative life coach, speaker, performance poet, Mommy-extraordinaire and  mixed-media artist whose Writing Camps and Writing Playgrounds permanently transform people’s creative lives. To receive her email newsletter to be inspired by her transformational articles, essays and videos as well as find out about her new programs, products and challenges, please click here to subscribe.