As I ran down the bush on a recent windy day, I noticed this eerie sound and stopped to figure out where it was coming from. It was a special group of trees, standing very close, moving in the wind.
I realised it was the dead branches making this creaking noise as they hit against each other whenever a forceful gust of wind passed by. It reminded me of the thin pick-up-sticks from the Mikado game – when they fall on each other as your fist lets go at the start of the game. Only in this case, the dead branches were still on the trees.
Trees naturally shed dead branches. Gum trees are known as “widow-makers” because they do it randomly and unexpected. Yet here was a kind of tree holding on to these dead sticks.
When the wind hurls, fresh and vibrant branches don’t make a sound, they move with the wind, sway and circle with flexibility and ease. Whereas the dead branches creak, they are not able to move with the same flexibility.
Which leads me to the point of getting rid of dead wood.
Where in your life, business or own mindset is it time to let go of some dead wood? Nature is fascinating – because cutting branches allows new shoots to shoot. You don’t know if they will shoot and in which direction. But leaving the dead wood there for certain will make movement hard, make it noisy when the wind blows – and risk damage when it falls.
Let’s be very clear that this is not an attack on age or length of time in a working or living relationship. This has got nothing to do with age or time in a role – or how long you have had some dead wood in your own mindset or beliefs.
It’s got all to do with flexibility. With openness to staying green and growing. Curiosity. And knowing when it’s time. To get rid of some of our own dead wood. Happy logging.