I often find myself walking into the woods when life feels heavy or uncertain. Surrounded by trees, flowers, and the quiet rhythm of nature, something softens within me. I look at a tree stretching confidently toward the sky or a wildflower blooming in radiant color, and I’m reminded of a deep truth: life doesn’t need to be forced in order to flourish.

No one tells the tree to grow tall. No one urges the flower to bloom brightly. They simply do. Despite storms, scorching sun, or harsh winters, nature continues to move toward life. There is a raw, untamed vitality in every living thing — a natural, unstoppable impulse to grow, express, and thrive.

And so it is with us.

Each of us arrived in this world carrying an inner force — a deep well of vitality. It’s not something we earn. It doesn’t depend on our achievements or the validation of others. It’s already here, quietly pulsing beneath the surface. It’s the same life force that makes a tree reach toward the sky. The same spark that makes a flower open to the sun.

But somewhere along the way, we forget.

We become entangled in expectations, shaped by external voices telling us who we should be and how we should live. We chase success, improvement, perfection. We try so hard to “be better” that we lose touch with what’s already whole inside of us. Progress becomes a performance, and our natural aliveness gets buried under layers of pressure and self-doubt.

We start to believe that effort must always feel like struggle — that we need to push ourselves in order to grow. But real growth doesn’t come from force. It comes from trust. From connection. From remembering the original vitality we were born with.

Just like there is no perfect tree, there is no perfect human. A tree doesn’t need to look like the one next to it. It grows in its own direction, at its own pace, shaped by its unique environment and inner design. And yet, every tree is growing. There’s no such thing as a lazy or unmotivated tree. Similarly, there’s no such thing as a human who lacks the desire to grow — only those who have been disconnected from their source.

So how do we reconnect with this original life force?

Not by doing more, but by being more.

Start by stepping into nature. Observe how life unfolds without striving. Sit under a tree. Watch a river flow. Let the natural world remind you of your own inner rhythm.

Then, get still. Close your eyes. Feel your breath. Beneath the noise of your mind, can you sense the quiet pulse of life inside you? The warmth in your chest, the tingling in your fingertips — that’s your aliveness. Listen to it.

Finally, begin to trust yourself again. Let go of who you think you should be, and allow yourself to become who you already are. Follow the small yeses. Nurture what brings you joy. Honor your unique growth path, even when it doesn’t look linear or impressive.

Your life force is not gone — it’s just waiting for your attention.

Like the trees, we are meant to grow upward. Like the flowers, we are meant to open. Not because we are pushed, but because life within us wants to unfold.

Come back to that place. Come back to you.