“Not that I want to be a god or a hero. Just to change into a tree, grow for ages, not hurt anyone.”
― Czeslaw Milosz
Last week, I published a post The Fish That Tries to Climb a Tree. I quoted Albert Einstein’s words: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” And I shared my life story living like the fish trying to climb a tree. Bad decisions. Opportunities I missed. Countless numbers of failures. I have spent the past decade drawing in regrets and believed in a notion that I was a failure.
When I shared the post on my Facebook, Lynnie Bat-Abba, one of my friends from college, commented on it. She used to be my college classmate who also majored in writing and gave me a hand when I was struggling with my assignments. Since I was one of a few international students who majored in writing, I was heavily insecure back in those days. Her kindness and generosity were a crucial part of my college life in the US.
And, her comments convinced me that I wasn’t the only one who believes that one is the fish trying to climb the tree. She reminded me of the fact that no one is so self-assured. Everyone is going through something. Especially in the age of global uncertainty, we have to remind ourselves how connected we all are and how important it is to accept each other despite our disagreements and differences.
We’re all together here. She gave me full permission to share her words with you…
Yosuke, we are all fish trying to climb a tree. None of us are so self-assured that we can walk into a workplace knowing exactly what to do, who to talk to, what to say. I am an old woman and I still have those anxieties, although now I am a lot less (a HUGE lot less) caring of what people think. I am a good person and have a good heart. That is enough. YOU are a good person and have a good heart. I know you. Embrace THAT, Yosuke. Every single day embrace that. Once you do, things will look differently.
She continued…
You have courage as well. Few people would go to a country that does not speak your native language and study how to write in THEIR language! Oh My GOSH! No way for me!!!
You are an incredible person, incredibly talented, incredibly kind. You have ALL of those qualities fish-people strive to be and it is natural for you! Embrace the gift that you are, Yosuke. Look for ways to assist others to see their potential, and do that with the kindness and courage you possess along with all the skills you have learned through your years here on earth. As soon as you understand how necessary each of us are to one another, how connected we all are, and the importance of accepting our own selves first of all, we realize there are no fish. We are all a Tree.
Frankly, we’re living in a world where uncertainty threatens us into silence. You see, even though it doesn’t physically threaten us nor fling harsh words at us, we constantly feel an intangible pressure from this unknown uncertainty.
In my case, because of my repeated failures and bad decisions during my career, I was losing my confidence and losing my faith that I’d never been able to find the actual purpose of my life. I was almost overwhelmed by the unknown uncertainty surrounding us everywhere. This world succeeded in making me believe that I was the fish. Whatever I try, I fail anyway.
Her comments, however, proved me wrong. I wasn’t the fish. I was a part of the tree. The tree of connection. The tree of acceptance. The tree of kindness. Sometimes, I’m overwhelmed by how divided we are. Being divided by age, wealth, race, ethnicity, and beliefs. But we all need to know that everyone you have met is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.
And especially in this globally interlinked age, where people are connected to one another more than ever, we all need to understand how necessary each of us is to one another. This whole process of the pandemic was also a wake-up call for all of us, citizens of the world.
And I’m aware of our generation’s challenges. Global climate change, coronavirus pandemic, racism, and the rise of right-wingers. Still, as long as we breathe, let us fight for our happiness. And whenever you have a chance to give a hand to others, don’t hesitate to do so. We’re all together here. Just like Lynnie has done to me back in the college days, kindness always makes a difference.
Now, it’s your turn. What kind of difference can you make for the world and future generations?
There are no fish. We all are a tree…
