Roots

(Since my last publication till now, a total of 45 countries have visited. I welcome the latest friends and readers from Belgium, Israel, Italy, Slovenia and the Ukraine.)

Next time you walk past a big tree take a look at its roots. Very often we see a small tree but down below the surface the roots can go a long way spreading deep and extensively throughout the ground and when you see a big tree you can imagine how much deeper and more extensive its reach. The roots can be so strong that sometimes it cracks up cemented ground and makes man-made path uneven. Much like an iceberg. What we often see is only the tip of the iceberg.

Just like our teeth, when you go to the dentist in the old days, the place looked hard and cold. Throw in the stern look of the dentist and drilling sound, it was small wonder that most people fear the visit to the dentist. Even adults cringed. Besides, in the absence of high tech x-ray machines, they could only try their luck if it became an extraction. Once I had a wisdom tooth extracted and the dentist after swaying my head left to right, everything moved except the tooth. He was shaking his head and perspiring and commented that my tooth has very deep and strong roots. At one point, I thought he was going to walk out while shaking his head and saying: "I have already done my best" just like what a doctor would say in the movies.

Remember Kunta Kinte in Roots?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-DRNSNgurE

We should all be on a level playing field and bigotry should be put out. Tribes persecute other tribes. Even the same countrymen despise one another. City folks despise the rural ones. Even among the same race, one dialect group may think less of another. In the same religious circle, one group may think they are superior to others. This is the human nature which is full of flaws. We ought to unlearn the prejudices which include gender biases. An example is the world is not making enough sense when only a fraction of the female population is making contribution to the world, not just the work force but also in decision making. This was the same unintended flaw which Fandi Ahmed once lamented that in Singapore Chinese boys are staying away from soccer and being the majority, we are being denied a major portion of the talent pool. I wish Fandi well in his quest to chart his talented boys' future in soccer. They were right at the top in their trials in Europe with top clubs like Arsenal and Milan.

Look at plants and trees and you will get a good measure of their majestic roots below the ground. Some roots like our tooth are just around the surface but the main root can be deeply embedded. Very often in life, when people face some problems they do not take the bull by its horn. In fact some of us try to avoid talking about it or refrain from dealing with it as if things would just go away, at home or at the work place. So quite frequently, like a lousy doctor, we just simply treat the symptoms and because we only treat the symptoms the problems will resurface. To deal with a problem effectively, we have to get to its roots. Sometimes, like a tooth with deep roots, it may not be so obvious to our eyes or can be so easily removed.

A sickly plant or tree can be sick due to problems with its roots so all the preening and pruning of the leaves and branches are of no use. You have to get to its roots. Chronic illnesses, anxiety, stress, disharmony at home or at the workplace, depression and other problems in life can make us like a sick plant or tree. You see the leaves turning yellow and brown one by one helplessly wasting away. This is the same as focusing on the process of things. At work if you only look at results you will know what results are needed. Ditto at home. Focusing on what result you need and want will not get you any results in the end. You need to work on the process and the process will be a means to an end - it will get you the results you are looking for. Otherwise, you are just like caring for the leaves. When the roots are in trouble, the plant cannot get better and may wither away.

Stress

One of the most common problems in life especially modern life is stress. You need stress to make you more competitive, to raise perform and achieve yet having too much stress give rise to other problems. In fact, stress has been know to be a killer. To me I think stress is like the aids virus. Before aids was officially aids, people just die of pneumonia or cause of death were attributable to other diseases but when they finally discovered that aids actually break down the human immune system so that the body becomes defenseless that can lead to death caused by a certain diseases then the root cause is the aids virus and now we have a big difference.

Similarly, stress is like the deadly aids virus attacking us silently and if you were to find people suffering from all kinds of ailments like cancer, heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. the root cause of many sicknesses and diseases could be due to stress as it can cause chemical imbalance in our body. Stress can disrupt us in many ways - physically and mentally from migraine, stroke, allergies and impotence. Even the mind can be impotent. Devastating indeed.

Fear

Why are we so stressed? Is there hope? We can get stressed out just by being overworked. Not having sufficient sleep or rest can be stressful too. What else? A lack of exercise. Anxiety not to fail or to be on time for dateline. Stress and anxiety is caused by "fear" which can lead to anxiety problems, breathlessness, panic attack, unrest, constant fidgeting of your Blackberry or iPhone, insomnia, a disturbed mind instead of peace of mind. Exercise can bring relief, helps in better breathing, it stretches our hearts and lungs as our hearts and lungs are like our cone speakers at home or in the car. When you have not used it for sometime or over exposure to the elements and if you were to suddenly blast them, the brittleness may caused the cone speakers to be damaged. If you are pumping your speakers regularly, then they are music to your ears. Breathing more oxygen and getting it distributed in the blood as it flows through your body makes us feel happier and better. Besides, our muscles and joints get lubricated.

On the surface and like a tree or plant we have our destructive habits of life. There are ailments in our physical bodies and our minds and some may be bogged down by financial lack. These are the symptoms but the root causes are much deeper. Stress, fear and our feeling of being condemned to hopelessness. Get rid of fear and get rid of stress.

Healthy Roots

We all need healthy roots to sustain ourselves. Healthy roots are like our family, friends, work, hobbies, health, principles and values. Without healthy roots, we are not anchored. When you are anchored with principled values, the entire world can change but you will not as they are like an institution to you. Like the mighty oak tree. You are deeply rooted. You may sway but will not get uprooted by strong winds due to your strong roots.

Oak Trees

The Oak Tree is one of the most magnificent trees in the world. They are giants and they are very strong. The rarest oak is the Cork Oak which is used to make the finest wine bottle corks. An oak tree can take hundred of years to reach maturity. Some of them have been know to outlive men even from ancient times. The oak tree is also of spiritual significance. The Slavs, Celts, German, Romans and the Bible use it in reference and they place it higher than any other types of trees. It is revered because it is one of the strongest woods in the world. There is an oak tree in Sherwood Forest where the Robin Hood legend originated and was associated and is reported to be still around today that measures more than 20m in width. The strongest oak trees are those standing in the open fields, left completely exposed to the elements and strong winds. The stronger the wind, the mightier the oak. When they have struggled against the winds, they became the strongest and can bear the heaviest loads and stress. Be like an oak tree - strong, sturdy, immovable and mighty. The problems in our lives are like the elements of rain and the wind thrashing at us relentlessly in open space. Through it all, we will build greater strength and character.

Rotten Roots

Plants with rotten roots wither away quickly and trees with rotten roots get uprooted easily during a thunderstorm. They will also not bear fruit. Rotten roots could be a result of planting contaminated seeds or allowing toxic substance to seep in through the ground. Therefore, one has to ensure that every seed planted is of quality and purity and that no toxic substances are given a chance to wreak havoc. Once, it seeps through and is absorbed into the plant, it is finished.

Remembering Our Roots

You have read or heard stories of countless people who came from very humble background and yet went on to achieve great success. Some have shown us that they still remember their roots. They came back to bless the country, to help the less fortunate in their community, to give education to their own and others. Yet others have remained so rooted that they refused to budge and move on to the current times. They are too conscious of their days gone by and will not adjust to their new soil and new environment. People who are affected by leukaemia directly or have loved ones who suffered from it would pledge their all in cash or kind or volunteer and dedicate their time to such a cause of fighting it.

Money - Root Of Evil?

We need our roots and anchor in life to keep us rooted and anchored so that during a storm we may sway but we do not stray. We also remember our roots to know and accept who we are with pride and not be ashamed. This is why some people from very humble beginnings who became highly successful continued to be very humble despite their success while others became different animals. It is all about the roots. They say money is the root of all evil. I say money is not the root of all evil but the love of money is the root cause of all evil. Money can build schools and hospitals but money could also buy you nuclear weapons. Everybody loves money but the overwhelming love of money becomes a worship then that is why there are people who would do anything for money, they would cheat, they would betray, they would hurt and kill all for the love of money. Alright, give me all your money. It is evil. Muahahahaha.....