SEQUOIAS, KINGS AND PARKS

I was in Visalia, California earlier this month working with the wonderful probation team at Tulare County and a few probation professionals from neighboring communities. One of the benefits of my work is that I travel for work.  Often I wind up back in old haunts mixed with visits to new places. When I take advantage of this benefit of travel it always makes the trip feel less disruptive to my home life and more additive.

To take advantage of this benefit requires intentional action. And my close friend Inertia, capital “I” for anthropomorphistic value, sometimes enters the room and shows up with his laziness and Inertia inspires (oxymoron?) me to just “go do the work” and come back home.

Instead, on a recent trip I researched and booked a cutsie little Airbnb for three days in Visalia and made day trips to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park while working remotely. I also found a yummy gluten-free bakery called Indulge in Fresno with a full case of baked goodies.

NURTURING GIANTS

I’ve been to 24 National Parks in the U.S. They rarely disappoint except for Gateway Arch which is cool but somehow the weird cousin to the rest of the National Parks. When looking at sequoias its boggles the mind at how big they are. And also, of course, how infinitesimally small the human lifespan is even compared to the giants Sequoias. Clams, sharks and coral living hundreds and thousands of years long, respectively. One species of sponge is believed to live over 10,000 years or more.

The subtle differences in conditions in the park some 2000 years ago lead to some trees to thrive as towering giants, others large yet impressive, some are stilted. And other trees don’t make it at all. That’s workplace culture in a nutshell. Just like with sequoia forests a major disruption like fire or tree falling opens up opportunity for massive growth spurts. But then, after the smoke dissipates and new seeds have dropped the subtle differences in conditions like soil, water and sunlight compound over time with the potential to form giants Generals like Sherman and Grant.  

INTENTIONAL OR ACCIDENTAL LEGACY

There’s an area in Sequoia National Park called Big Stump Loop where a significant number of trees were harvested in 1891. I chose not to go there. For myriad reasons not all of the sequoias were harvested and I’m grateful to the many generations over the past 2,000 years that left behind some of these giants for us to enjoy and marvel at today.

For those that came before us this is their legacy. In 1890, President James Harrison signed legislation to form Sequoia National Park and while his legislation and the following protection of the park was critical there were bands of local people, including Walter Fry, who rallied to do things different. I don’t know the full legacy of these parks but the legacy we create isn’t always a grand gesture. The legacy starts with an idea of how things can be different. This initial good intent comes with mistakes, setbacks, long stalls and sometimes outright failure but behind these good intentions are purpose and action. There’s a reason today that these National Parks are not all hillsides full of the stumps of giants and it’s because others overcame their own Inertia.

Oh and I made a fun playlist of songs about “Sequoias, Kings and Parks” and as usual I found some gems and well, other songs too ?

TWO QUESTIONS

1. What are side benefits you get from your job? Do you take advantage? Where is inertia holding you back?

2. What’s the legacy you hope to leave behind in the work you do or the community where you live? Do you know? If not, let’s talk.

Anthony Poponi is the CEO and founder of Focus on the 40 and is an expert in positive psychology, the applied science of human happiness. Anthony specializes in showing his audiences a path to more joy, fulfillment and success in our workplaces through live and virtual programs including keynotes, retreats and team-buildings full of actionable tools and strategies to show you and your team a path towards being happier and successful. His newest book “The Little Book of Workplace Happiness” dives into the most common workplace challenges of trust, leadership, and wellness.