Do You See the Forest or Just the Trees? Here's Why That Matters.

When you look at the world, what do you see?

Do you see individual trees—or the whole forest?

This isn't just a poetic question. It's a way of seeing people, relationships, and even society itself.

Let’s start with the trees.

Each tree represents a person. Some we admire—tall, strong, deeply rooted. Others we may overlook—young, delicate, bending easily in the wind. Some trees we dislike: they drip sticky sap or release yellow pollen that irritates us. Based on these traits, we form opinions. We protect the ones we value. We chop down the ones we don’t.

We may not realize it, but this is how we treat people too. We love those who serve us or reflect our values. We distance ourselves—or even attack—those who don’t.

But here’s what we forget: every tree plays a role. Even the ones we dislike provide shelter, oxygen, and homes for creatures we never see. Just because we don’t value a tree doesn’t mean it lacks value.

Now shift your view.

When we look at a forest, we stop seeing individual trees. We see a living, breathing ecosystem. A whole. A oneness. The trees share space and nutrients and even communicate underground through their roots. When one tree suffers, the entire forest feels it.

That’s the power of connection.

That’s the truth we forget when we focus only on individuals.

As people, we can act from love or fear, compassion or anger. But when we embrace our oneness—our collective humanity—we begin to live in harmony. We begin to heal.

Let me share a story from the Babemba tribe of South Africa.

When someone in the tribe harms another—steals, lies, lashes out—they aren’t punished. Instead, the entire tribe gathers around the individual. They place that person in the center of the village, and one by one, everyone shares something positive about them—something they appreciate, admire, or remember fondly.

This act of love and affirmation doesn’t excuse the behavior—but it reminds the person of who they really are. It reconnects them to the community and to themselves. And because of this, the Babemba tribe rarely deals with repeated harm. Love restores. It doesn’t weaken—it transforms.

So what does this have to do with trees and forests? Everything.

Because at the core of this story is one universal truth: energy matters.

Everything is energy. Everything vibrates. This isn’t just spiritual theory—it’s science.

Vibrations are contagious.

Imagine two guitars side by side. Pluck a string on one, and the same string on the other will begin to vibrate too—simply because they share the same frequency.

The forest thrives because its trees resonate together. They share the same frequency. Together, they’re strong. But a single tree cut off from the group loses that resonance. It weakens.

Look at our world today—especially our politics. We’ve become a forest full of isolated trees, all vibrating in conflict. We’ve forgotten our connection. We’ve lost our strength.

Standing up for your beliefs is important. Necessary. But how you stand up matters just as much.

If you fight from anger, you call in more anger. You feed it.

If you stand in love, you still fight—but your power comes from truth, from unity, from a higher vibration.

This isn’t about being passive or “woo-woo.” It’s about being intentional with your energy.

You can fight for change without hating those who see the world differently.

You can be a strong tree and a part of the forest.

So yes—speak up. Take action. Fight for what you believe. But do it from love. From connection. From the strength of the forest, not the isolation of the tree.

Because your chances of making real change increase when your vibration does.

Stand strong. Stand together.

Be the forest. 🌳💚