Thriving through times of change … like Hyperion
Every January a good friend of mine chooses a word that will help guide her through the year ahead. A theme. One year her word was “nourish,” so she focused on a healthy diet as well as activities that fed her heart, soul and mind. She also approached the relationships in her life and her community with the intention of nourishing them as well.
Always an inspiration to me, this year, I decided to follow her example and choose a word for the year: Thrive. It's my intention to thrive personally at home, work and in the community while also enabling and inspiring those around me to thrive as well. Reach for the sky and spread roots through the soil.
The tallest living trees in the world are found in Redwood National Park, right here in Humboldt. The tallest of them, Hyperion, as it's known, is a coast redwood that stands 380 feet high and is estimated to be 600-800 years old.
What is it that enables our coast redwoods, like Hyperion, to thrive in the face of 600+ years' worth of unpredictable storms, wildfires, earthquakes and predators? Is it the bark, over a foot thick in some cases, fortifying coast redwoods against the fires, pests and predators that competing plants and trees succumb to? Is it the root system that reaches wide and unseen at its base, seeking out other redwood's roots to interconnect with, to share support, nourishment and communication with one another? In large part, it's both of these qualities combined that make them the titans of the trees.
Like Hyperion, our businesses and industries constantly face challenges outside of our control. What is it that inspires us to overcome and thrive through times of change, to rise above adversity? It must certainly be, like the towering coast redwood, an aggregation of our own resilience supported by the connections we maintain with our teams and community. The thickest bark may protect a tree from beetles and fire, but without a network of roots to withstand the force of a mighty wind, the tree will fall. Likewise, a strong network of roots will not prevent an unfortified tree from splintering.
As you build your business, with hopes to rise high up into the skyline, give equal attention and appreciation to the less apparent components that make it possible to rise above: your teams, your associations, and your community.
May we all thrive in 2024.
Annalise von Borstel's mission is to partner with her clients to understand and achieve their real estate and financial goals while strengthening and generating economic growth for the community of Humboldt. She is a broker associate of Better Homes & Gardens, a board member of Compass Community Credit Union, and currently serves as president of Rotary Club of Eureka.