Where the Mind Grows (A Fable)

They stood in the clearing of the woods, where the light peaked through from the canopy above. And the birds cacawd, and the breeze swayed its way from the dappled sky to their cheeks. Fresh and kind.??

The cool, mossy textures of the forest floor below cradled their feet.

A layer of scents that met the senses with textures of real and woody, a tonic for the mind.

‘Who will go into the woods with you, they asked?’

‘Those that find me, when they need the woods most?’ she responded.

The first was The Wanderer.

Not quite sure how they had got so lost. Overwhelmed by the prospects of opportunity and change. In their hand a severed root, preciously wilting. ?The wanderer’s heart was weighted with the rock of adversity that had prevailed their life. And they longed for the clearing in the woods. To make sense of it all. To find safety. To find hope.

‘How do I make sense of it all?’ ?they asked.

Not long after, The Explorer came bounding through the thicket. Excited for a new adventure. ?Confused by the many choices and opportunities that life presented. Unsure which to take. Feeling the pull for something different, but knowing in the past those adventures had left them wayward

'Where does my purpose belong? ' They asked.

Next, a weary traveller took a seat on a fallen stump nearby.

She lugged a heavy rucksack from her back and rubbed at her shoulders to alleviate the burn. ?

The Nurturer.

Inside the bag were things to do,?the needs of others, a list of roles as long as your arm and a huge heart shaped box full of love and kindness and compassion. And expectations.

She sat on the log and looked to the sky. For a moment glimpsing the clear stillness of calm.

Exhausted by her path. Of leading and loving others. As she took in a crisp cut of the forest air. Her body tingled. As she remembered the unfamiliar feeling of just being within herself.

'How do I look after myself as well?' She whispered to the forest floor.

There was a scuttle and shuffle. Branches snapped down the forest path where brambles meshed themselves between trees. Striding between the scrub of thorns as the blackberries clawed at their sleeves. ?Occasionally they jolted a look behind themselves with a gasp, afraid of their own shadows.

?Ah, it was The Pioneer.

Choosing the messy, complicated route to get to where they were meant to land. Believing that the hardship would warrant their purposefulness. Whilst beside them a clear, well-lit path called to the clearing. ?

In their heart was a bold, courageous idea., Ready to make the world a better place. But their mind was afraid of what this all meant.

?'How do I dare to lead?' ?They called out at the Oak tree.

Nearby, hung from a beech tree was a woven article. A ?beautiful thing made from the forest. With flowers and leaves and feathers. The dew had gathered on it, glinting in the sunbeams through the leaves. ?

What’s this? The creator must be close.

Leant against the trunk below. The Creator journaled idea after idea. Each one a new page. Each one a sentence left unfinished. Their heart was iridescent, yet their clothes were now dull and formal.

They wrote of responsibility, of living up to a life with order and processes and systems. Yet inside their mind whirled with colours and feathers and leaves.

‘Oh to let myself be wildly creative, could I?’

A new visitor to the woods. One that frequented more and more.?The Quiet Observer.

Sat carefully and considerately in the forest. Still.

There was so much in these here woods that gave rest bite and safety. And acceptance.

Back in the everyday. Life hurtled around him. ?His ability to see the whole world with different, patient eyes had got him into places of importance and intelligence.

But now the world whirled around him with egos and expectations.

Though he was an integral cog in the wheel, he was often invisible to the others and at times the ache of going unnoticed and unappreciated burned inside. ?

The cloak of invisibility was nothing new, a life of not quite fitting in. Yet effort and observing had allowed him to skirt at the edges of success.

His soul yearned for more than status. His heart kind. His mind a universe. His gut pulling for adventure, simplicity and recognition.

So, he watched and saw and wondered. What next?

?'How do I stop feeling lonely? How can I be heard?'

In the forest, they met themselves. Where the mind grows. The soul sooths and the path became a little bit clearer.

And so they explored.

And discovered.

And rooted their belonging in the world.

And landed in a place, where clarity was their closest companion. And courage was their next step.

True to who they deeply were in the world.?

#coaching #change #nature #wildarchetypes #regenerativeleaderhsip #coachinginnature #wellbeing #purpose #people #authenticity #direction #clarity #calm #balance #mindset #hope #support #lifecoaching

Coaching in Nature www.wherethemindgrows.co.uk

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