Tasmania (home to our head office) is home to some of the world’s most beautiful, ancient forests. Some trees, like the nearly 100-metre-tall Eucalyptus Regnans (Mountain Ash) at Tahune Airwalk, are estimated to be over 320 years old! 

Younger trees on the forest floor spend decades growing, slowly building their strength, putting down roots and pushing towards the sky. They only break through the canopy to full sunlight when the oldest trees reach the end of their lives and crash to the ground.

Trees take many years of patient, determined growth before they reach their full potential.
Decades of growing in the shade before they enjoy their time in the sun.

But if an old tree falls prematurely and a young tree takes its place quicker than usual, it often also falls prematurely when a storm comes because it hasn’t spent decades putting down roots and developing its foundation.

We should be like a tree. Patient and focused on building a solid foundation over time. Slowly growing and not chasing our ‘time in the sun’ prematurely. Working towards a goal with quiet determination instead of hustling and wanting the limelight before we’ve put down roots.

Because when we do get up high to the top of the canopy, it’s windy. But with a solid foundation, we’ll survive the winds of criticism, mistakes, rejection and disappointment. 

We’ll be around for the long haul.