I enjoyed some time on Mt. Lemmon the other day. Mt Lemmon is a sky island that peaks several thousand feet above Tucson’s desert. Thanks to its elevation, Mt. Lemmon has a climate and ecosystem similar to that of Canada. Accordingly, in early October, some of the trees on the mountain are starting to turn. Their colors are like Boy George’s dreams, “red, gold, and green… red, gold and green.”
The trees have been busy sucking chlorophyll nutrients into their branches and trunks to store and protect them for the winter. As the trees have been removing green chlorophyll from the leaves, other pigments are being revealed, creating colorful displays.
Soon the trees will cut off the veins where the leaf stems meet their branches. Without water from the veins, the leaves will detach from the trees and drift to the ground. They will then decompose and enrich the soil. Their service to the trees will be complete.
If the trees were to hold onto their leaves, the chlorophyll nutrients would not be protected through the winter, and the trees could die. By letting go of the leaves, the trees ensure their survival and future growth.
The trees on Mt. Lemmon spoke to me. Just like they let go of their leaves, what could I release that no longer serves its purpose and, moreover, could be damaging?
My most immediate thought was my truck, which was (and still is) in the shop, again! Time to let go? I also thought about where I live–pros and cons.
Then I inverted. Rather than thinking about things that I have, I considered what I don’t have. What is it that I don’t have that I could release? In other words, what goals, what dreams could I release?
The first two Noble Truths of Buddhism teach us that all life is suffering and that suffering is caused by desire. The difficulty with those Truths is that while goals and dreams can cause suffering, they also can engender purpose and structure. Letting go of goals and dreams is no easy decision to make.
I didn’t come up with any answers other than to clean out my nightstand and let go of junk that had built up in those drawers! I guess that counts for something.
Here are some categories to explore letting go (in no particular order) :
- Place: where you live
- Relationships, People
- Memories
- Emotions
- Work: your job, your business or aspects of those
- Material Things
- Goals/Dreams
- Habits
- Beliefs, Values
- What you eat
- Words
- Behaviors
- Customs, Rituals
I hope that considering what to let go helps you on your journey, just as shedding their leaves helps trees thrive. And like the gift of autumn foliage, may you find a gift in the release.
With Love,
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present
For More on Trees Speaking to a Middle-aged Man: