At the junction of the roots and the branches of a tree lies the trunk, made up of layers of wood, or growth rings.

Exhibiting characteristics defined by the branches and the roots, the growth rings vary in width and strength depending on the climatic conditions experienced by the tree during that year. In a tough season the rings are narrow and the wood is strong, the tree puts all its focus and energy into building strength and resilience.

Again a comparison can be drawn to humans. Our lived experience, fed by eros and psyche - our hearts and our minds - grows our inner strength, our resilience to life and the depth to which life will be experienced in future years.

It hurts to experience false friendship, to be lashed by unkind words, to suffer rejection of your thinking or to feel the burden of conditional love, but it is these experiences which ultimately develop the inner resilience and strength of character required to thrive in life. To create strong wood and groundedness which holds you steady during future storms.

Whilst pain is not something I wish to inflict upon myself or others, sometimes adversity in life is what gives us our strength, enabling us to tap inner resources we didn't realise we had and to build a strength of character which holds us in good stead to be all that we can be.