The Mighty Oak Tree was Once a Tiny Acorn

“From little acorns mighty oaks do grow” — American proverb

As I walked through the park on my lunch break, I noticed the squirrels were quite busy eating and burying the acorns that were steadily falling from the large oak trees. It then occurred to me that each one of these Oak trees began as an acorn!

I picked up an acorn and held it in my hand, examining it closely. It was quite small, and a dull, brown color. Nothing that looked impressive from the outside, but what a vast amount of potential was within that humble acorn!

I held the acorn up against the Oak tree. I imagined it, along with all of my ideas and hard work, arising and growing into this magnificent tree! Progress might be slow at times, but the potential is there, waiting to blossom into something wonderful!

All of us are like this beautiful acorn – filled with potential! Each time I lace up my running shoes or roll out my yoga mat, I am turning that potential into progress. I can feel my strength and confidence growing. My Half Marathon training began by walking or running just a mile at a time. In the very beginning, I couldn’t even run a mile. But I believed that I could do it.

“Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn.” — William Arthur Ward

It is important to set realistic goals. I visualize myself successfully and happily completing my goal and then I set out to do it. I know I have everything within me to accomplish anything. I think this belief in myself first came from my Grandma. I remember well that she always used to say to me, “Lisa, you can do anything you set out to do.” When she said those words to me, I honestly believed them. At that point I hadn’t yet had any failures that would have led me to believe otherwise. I had enthusiasm, faith, and hope to spare. I could do anything.

By now, I’ve had my share of failures. I have suffered injuries when I overtrained, took shortcuts, or pushed too hard. I’ve overcommitted and I’ve made plenty of mistakes. I’ve had to start all over again after divorce. I’ve had to start all over again in middle age, to find a new career that will support me. I’ve had to figure out how to get back in shape after years of long hours and plenty of overtime behind a desk. I’ve started over so many times, that I’ve lost count. I needed to hear that voice of my Grandma in my ear again, “Lisa, you’re so talented. You can do anything you set out to do!” Oh how I have longed to hear those sweet words of encouragement! I wanted to go back in time and be that little acorn again, full of potential and with my entire life ahead of me!

“Just as the acorn contains the mighty oak tree, the Self has everything it needs to fulfill its destiny. When the inner conditions are right, it naturally emerges.”

This is what I’m doing to fulfill my fitness and wellness potential: