Palm: Victory The Arecaceae are a botanical family of lianas, shrubs, and trees commonly known as palm trees (also know as Palmae or Palmaceae.) There are around 2600 species currently known, most of them restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates. There I was writing another tortured post about how confused and frustrated I was and how I should just drop out of life and live in a tree. Still might do it. But, on Friday I woke up with fire buring through my veins. I would not be quitting this time. If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always had. There is so much truth in those words yet change can just seem so daunting. On thursday I was feeling a bit fed up and thought about just quitting and heading home, tail between legs, defeated yet again. So I could continue with the same old stories- that's you made another mistake, you idiot why cant you get anything right? But by Friday morning, i was just not willing to do that! Why not shake things up and commit to something, what might happen then?I'd have hell of a lot more self respect for sure. So despite my current situation being less than perfect i accept it for what it is, I'm grateful for it and ready to learn the lessons i need to help me move a few steps forward. "And the day came when the risk to remain in a tight bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" - Anais Nin When I decided I wanted to write about my wee victory, I wondered what plant the Language of Flowers would attribute to it. I laughed out loud when I realised it was palm. I see it as no coincidence that the past few weeks I have been researching the palm oil industry and now here I am at a tropical garden. With palm trees. The Universe can be so mysterious yet so vitreous at the same time. I appreciate the small wins and that is exactly what this is. Its like i've finally woken up after a long, fitful sleep. Im ready to rejoin life and become the full version of myself. Well I hope so anyway, there's no knowing with me how long this will last but im hopeful and thats the key ingredient for change. VICTORY. Who doesnt love a palm tree? The sight of the towering trees with tufted fronds is reminiscent of tropical beaches and coconuts and all that is exotic. An intoxicating cocktail. Palm trees stand tall and proud, sometimes they slump over a bit but I like to thin that they are just relaxing into beach life. I've encountered palm trees in many of the beautiful places i've travelled to and the sight always makes me smile. I think it appropriate that they symbolise victory. Palm leaves are frought with tradition; the palm branch has been a symbol of triumph and victory since pre-Christian times. Palms grow abundantly in many habitats from rainforest and beaches to deserts and roadsides. They exist in all shapes and sizes and are used in a myriad of ways be it the coconuts, the palm fruit, the branches or the trunk. They are a tree of all trades. Relied on by millions of people all over the world (including my mum who simply cannot live without coconut oil) they are mighty tree warriors providing for us with grace and pride. Victoriously being their happy tree selves. On a side note: Falling coconuts are a serious cause of death in the tropics; one fell on the roof of my hut in India and the thunderous noise just about gave me a heart attack. I gathered up the offending coconut and spent the next few hours hacking away at it with my scissors (its all i had) for breakfast. The feeling of accomplishment when i managed to battle through the fibrous husk and the woody shell with just said scissors and my bare hands was wonderful. I'm very glad it did not fall on my head. Take heed. On the topic of palm oil,I recommend doing some research, as its a very complicated issue. I stumbled upon this article which i found helpful. The best advice i have is just to be mindful of what companies are the worst and try to be informed of the situation. We cant change the world alone but if we all do a little bit to be compassionate consumers then i consider that a huge step. I would gladly give up everything that contained palm oil if it would help save the beautiful ancient forests and the orangutans that call it home; sadly i don't think its as simple as that.But this is meant to be a happy post so don't get too disheartened by it all; there are amazing people doing increidible things to help, lets focus on that. Guess which one is Scotland?
Victory is to be had by all of us. Despite the connotations, it has nothing to do with warriors and battles; at least not in the literal sense. It's the little things we achieve each day, seeing the positive instead of the negative, trying something different that turns out great, honoring your heart and doing what feels best, ignoring the voice of reason sometimes! Anything that challenges unhelpful thoughts is a victorious achievement, we all know how cruel the mind can be and how tight a grip it can have on us. Allow yourself to acknowledge each little triumph and watch what happens. We all respond better to praise than criticism. To most people one month is nothing but to me its quite a big deal so its my victory. The past few days have been the happiest of this whole year for me, i've felt unburdened and proud of myself for really trying.That's all you can ask of yourself really. On Friday as my spirits lifted, the clouds did too and the sun emerged for the first time in days. If that's not proof of the power of thoughts, I don't know what is. I believe that you can emerge victorious from whatever battle you happen to be fighting and I hope that you can appreciate what a considerable achievement that is. Reward yourself! Maybe buy yourself a coconut as a gift : ) Be like the palm, stand tall and proud; life can be so difficult at times so I would like to congratulate you on whatever small victory you win. On that note i'm off to make a coconut curry....
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LittlebirdJenna. Free spirit, flower enthusiast, seeker of truths. Archives
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