26 May Tree of Life
Northern New Mexico has had a glorious spring, ending ten years of drought. We’ve nurtured our new trees, and now have baby crops of peaches, cherries, plums, and pears. Caring for our trees, we were struck at the similarities between them, and the art of speaking well.
For example, unless you position a tree for adequate sun, and then do proper soil prep– from digging the hole to amending the soil, the tree suffers. Similarly, unless you first consider your audience (the terroir), set an intention (what you want it to produce), and then craft a presentation with a compelling open, examples, and strong close, (the growth components) your talk suffers.
A young tree needs observation and care. If they’re not watered, pruned and fertilized, they die. In its infancy, a presentation needs editing (pruning), rehearsal (maintenance), and infusing or feeding it with your unique insights. If you only write out, memorize or read your content, you’ll suck the life and energy out of it.
Da Vinci studied trees to understand the human circulatory system and brain. The next time you take a walk in the park, spend some time observing trees. There is a reason for generations they have been characters in world literature. Trees create oxygen and sustain life.
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