The Key to the Tree

The Key to the Tree

Most readers of the Daily Paradox know about The Tree on the other side of the Field. If you do not and would like to, please ask. How I learned about it is an intriguing story.

The Tree is the basis of a successful and fulfilled life. How has it worked for me?

It took the first 15 years to learn what I wanted to do; another 5 to start doing it. A major accident threw me off course but a bold decision put me back on track. It took another 7 years to see what I was good at – nobody had told me up to now. 9 more years needed to apply what I did well to the opportunities I had. The following 10 years made use of what I had learnt and taught a lot more, some painfully. A tough decision allowed 12 years to achieve a major objective. For the past 27 years I have been enjoying my latest Tree.

It was no walk in the Park; there were hazards along the way. Absent parents (not their fault), a world war with its deprivations, poor education by some of the teachers left while the best teachers were fighting, all contributed to challenging times – for which I am grateful. They toughened me up. I was fired four times from jobs, twice fairly, once brutally, once idiotically. I fired a friend unfairly and still regret it. Without regrets you haven’t lived.

The pattern of my life is no template for yours. There are certain stages that all go through. Some of them overlap, some – such as life-long learning – are permanent. Here are the stages I saw and the years that applied to them. You may want to add your own template.

During this time I have had 7 Trees. Some have been changed by force majeure; other changes were opportunistic. The next Tree was never obvious and discovering it, never easy. But I have always been determined to have a Tree.

So what is the key to finding your Tree? The PASDAQ™ (see www.TerrificMentors.com > Rediscover your purpose) is the best tool for doing this. It is a tough assignment but it will get you on the right track. I wish I had had it at the start of my Stage 3. It would have got me to Stage 6 much faster.

So what is the Key to your Tree when you have completed PASDAQ™? Does it solve all your problems? Of course not. You and we have to apply rigorous creative thought to what the answers mean for your Personality, Abilities, Skills, Dreams, Ambitions, Qualifications. Some of these will need strengthening. Some you haven’t recognised will emerge as strengths. Addressing these will equip you better but will it identify your Tree?

Microsoft’s, Google’s, Amazon’s, Facebook’s Trees didn’t appear once and remain static. Like a living Tree they grew from saplings as they discovered and invented opportunities. They combined needs that were already identified with dreams that had yet to be perceived. In the same way, your Tree becomes a living expression of who you want to be.
Developing your Tree requires effort, concentration and decisiveness. These efforts are more than fully rewarded when you finally find your Tree.

Here are the questions you must answer in order to find the Key to your Tree:

[a] What lifestyle do you want now and when you are older? ‘Indulgent’ is perfectly legitimate but it won’t make you happy and it is very expensive.

[b] How much money do you need to support that lifestyle? Knowing your Future Financial Needs (a section of PASDAQ™) is vital to your comfort. Most people seriously underestimate their financial needs.

[c] Will you have to earn that money or will you inherit it? Any mention of winning a lottery admits that you have no idea.

[d] Are you prepared to make the effort to achieve what you want? Nobody can make you; it is your decision.

[e] At what age or stage do you think you will have to address your future financial position? This is a trick question.

Start finding your Tree today; your need for it is nearer than you think.