Sales Man Up Blog
When Lightning Strikes
Success is like a lightning bolt. It'll strike you when you least expect it, and you just have to keep the momentum going. You have to strike when the iron is hot. So for me, I just kept striking and striking to polish out the sword that I was making.
Michelle Phan
Lightning struck. The flash of brilliance, along with the accompanying thunder BOOM seemed to shake the house. But how was this any different from a typical June rainstorm in Florida ? We live in the lightning belt, and during the summer, thunderstorms can arrive like an unwelcome guest, and leave just as quickly as they came. A few days after this June deluge, my youngest son asked me if I had seen the “vine” growing on the trunk of the fifty foot oak tree closest to the house. Upon inspection of the tree, I did see a vertical line shooting down the length of the tree, and it did resemble a vine. After stepping closer to the tree, I realized that I wasn’t looking at a vine, but actually the inner portion of the oak because the bark had literally been blown off ! It was then I began to take notice of the oak bark scattered across my sidewalk and driveway- as much as sixty feet away from the oak. Lightning had indeed struck our tree ! ( see photo)
My wife called Rolando, an arborist and tree trimmer who has worked with us for years. He and his team inspected our oak tree and confirmed that lightning had done the deed. I noted that the mature ginger plants surrounding the tree had withered and died just days after the strike, but the ginger pups survived. Rolando observed that the leaves of the oak were still green and vibrant. There was no sign of deterioration in the tree. When I asked if I should fill in the gaps in the bark, he recommended that we allow the tree to heal itself. The tree is a survivor…and so are you!
Lightning has struck all of us in some manner over the last year. We have all endured the pandemic storm- fighting sickness or grieving the loss of a loved one who lost the fight. In business, we have been struck with supply /chain and material shortage issues, labor challenges, extended lead times , and logistical nightmares. Am I hitting home yet ? Each of us, in some way, has been etched - just like my oak tree. But here’s the good news - the ancient word for character means to “ be etched, marked, or scarred”. The things that scar us are what builds our character. Ever watch two children point to their skinned knees and elbows, now healed up, but they share their stories as if they just happened today ? There is always a narrative behind every scar, every challenge, every trial in life.
Like my arborist stated, “ your tree will heal itself. The bark will grow back to protect the tree.” We too must give ourselves time to heal, our leaves will remain green, our roots grow deep and our character broaden as we soak up the sunshine of a new year. Like the mature ginger that died, maybe there are some areas of lives this past year that we needed to let go of. Stay watered, don’t forget time for self care, be kind and compassionate, and never forget the stories behind your healed scars. Lightning may strike again, but our focus is not on giving up and withering, but on living. Winston Churchill stated, “ Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ..” .
How to save an oak tree …https://www.greentopps.com/post/how-save-oak-tree-struck-lightning-guide
Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.
Mark Twain
