The Tree of Me

There is so much about the life of a tree that draws parallels with the life cycles of humans.  I often use metaphors about trees and nature in my work as a coach and trainer and I recently came across a wonderful blog post called ‘Tree of Me’ by Sharon Lippincott.

I was drawn to the ‘Tree of Me’ blog post because of its similarity to the Life Mapping exercise I had used for years in the Self Development Programme which I used to run with women in recovery.

The Life Map exercise involved visually mapping your life experiences on a huge sheet of paper in order to make sense of the life journey you had been on. The aim of the exercise was to be connected physically and emotionally with what you had come through, and in many individual cases, had survived through.

The Tree of Me presents a new and more organic way of recreating the Life Map that I just love. It draws its roots from the tree rings which tell you how old the tree is and records the life of a tree. By using the tree rings as a metaphor we are also reminded that the quality of each ring reflects the cycle of growth of the tree during that particular year. The image above is of Sharon’s personal Tree of Me. You can also read more about Sharon Lippincott in my Coaching Blog.

Tree Action

To create your own version you will need a large sheet of paper (or several sheets taped together), coloured felt tips or crayons and at least 20 minutes to get you started. This is the kind of personal development activity that might take several sittings. Take your time with it, there’s no rush.

It might be helpful to find an image of a tree that you like and paste it in the centre of your ring, or draw your own. Starting from the centre, map the first ring from your birth. Then, using a series of rings moving outwards, map the following years up to your life right now.

In each ring capture memories, lessons, significant experiences that signify that time in your life. Once you have completed the exercise, take a moment to take in what you have created. You might want to write about it in your journal or talk it through with someone you trust. Often, when we sit still long enough, knowing what to do next becomes clear. In Africa there is an old saying based on the mythical Sankofa bird. It tells us that before going forward, one has to look back. Seeing the footprints of the life we have already walked can help us decide on where we would like our feet to guide us in the future.

You might also like to work through my Acorn To Oak worksheet which you can download with this post. The worksheet takes you through a series of questions that allows you to review and celebrate your life and what you have come through.

Here is the link to Sharon Lippincott’s Tree of Me Blog.