When I was young and naive about trees and their habitats, I planted this lemon scented gum in my front garden. Not the smartest thing I ever did, not only are they not native to my little piece of paradise they grow very big, have a deep root system and this tree is sitting on a rock bed.
Thirty five years later its thriving as you can see. It has been the subject of many photo wow moments. Every day I celebrate both its beauty and its resilience.
This tree reminds me of this quote from leadership coach Zoe Routh
Real growth takes persistent effort, in spite of what feels like lack of progress. We need to keep testing the edges of our ability. Little experimentations, trial and error. Lots of error.
It takes courage to keep trying, because the risks are real: we can get hurt. We can fail. We come right up against our limitations, feeling them press down on us like suffocating barriers.