The Way of the Tree

From http://ichingdaily.blogspot.com/2010/04/hexagram
-53-gradual-advance.html
I've been pondering what I would like to see in 2015 in the various aspects of my life—personally and relationally, professionally as a university teacher, as a writer, as a taijiquan player, as a musician, and as a leader of our spiritual community.
It might be a sign of age, but I find myself to be a gradualist. More things work better when you build them gradually than when you throw them together quickly, as if you have little time and everything has to be urgent.
When I was young and life seemed to stretch endlessly ahead, I wanted change, and I wanted it now! Everything was "radical," or "revolutionary." Today, when it's reasonable to count the time to retirement, my expectations for change are less, and the change and growth I hope to see are more realistic and less severe. It's a strange turn around and is perhaps counterintuitive. You'd think, with less time ahead (presumably) a new urgency would be required. I have not found it so.
I've been turning my thoughts to a course I will teach in the spring semester—social and political philosophy. It seems the case that developed nations that are more or less internally stable only reach that point after a very long period of steady change and growth. The more violent the revolution, and the greater the "instant" change, the less stable the new state tends to be. I'm oversimplifying (and I'm sure there might be the odd counter example) but check it out and see for yourself.
Recently, a youngster asked me to teach her ukulele. After ten minutes practice, trying not to dampen the unfretted strings in the F chord shape, she gave up. "It's too hard!" was her plaintive cry. "Try again," I responded. "It's a gradual process. If you keep on with steady practice, you'll find that your fingers go where you want them to, and only where you want them to."
So, I've become a gradualist, and that seems about right. I have been drawn to the image of a tree growing on the mountainside—a gnarled old tree that has grown slowly over many years, against all the odds, sinking its roots deeply where it can. (Those who read the Yijing will find wisdom in Hexagram 53, Gradual Progress.)
A quick growth will not produce the beauty or stability of the old tree, for a tree is not a weed. The tree's roots grow proportionally to the truck and branches, sinking deep into the earth. Such gradual development produces stability, strength, and great beauty.
[This is tangential, but at our last community retreat, our good friend Yanchy helped us appreciate the energy of trees through simple qigong. "Standing pole" qigong is to stand in wuji position, relaxed, rooted, feet shoulder width apart, with hands as if holding a large ball in front of the chest. Yanchy had us do that but with a tree so that our arms held the tree. I experienced a quite remarkable connectedness with a big old maple tree. The tree was full of energy, and I dare say very wise!]
So my thoughts for 2015 are to take the Way of the Tree! I will endeavor not try to produce quickly, but rather allow growth to occur gradually, organically. I will try to be aware of that which is slowly evolving. I'm not up for a revolution in 2015. It's the growth of a tree and not a weed for me.
+Ab. Andy