PURPOSE OF LIFE- 'THE APPLE TREE' [Part 2]

“In order to remember who you are,” the gentle inner voice replied, “you must learn to
feel the sap rising. Your sap, (your tree’s life blood that is inside you), is your purpose
compass. It will only rise when you speak, think or say anything that is a part of your true
self. When you think, say or do anything that is NOT a part of who you are, the sap will
fall, and you will feel empty. Emptiness means you are not fulfilling your purpose,
because you are not being you! Your purpose is something you ARE, not something
you are supposed to DO. The sap feeling will tell you when you are being who you were
born to be. When you are being yourself, you will do what you are supposed to do, and it
will bring you great joy.”

The little tree, thought for a moment. For as long as he could remember, he’d only felt
empty.

“Emptiness is a clue. And so is being filled with peace or joy. When the sap fills your
veins, you will feel it. It is inner warmth, a presence, a feeling that happens inside of your
heart. You will also feel it gently rise within your branches and even to your leaves. It is
joy – the joy of being on purpose. Love yourself free, and who you are will be revealed.”

The more he thought about these new insights, the more a new feeling became real
within him. When he thought about loving himself more, he felt the sap. He felt the gentle
feeling his life force more strongly in his body. It was a gentle and beautiful feeling.

“How have I forgotten this? How could I forget who I am?” said the young tree.

“You have been so focused on the orchard…” said the inner voice, “…on the orange
trees and on the thorn trees, that you have forgotten YOU. Now young tree, follow the
clues of the sap rising in your body and love yourself free.”

And so the tree looked down at his body and he said, “This is me! This is who I was born
to be! My leaves look like this, and my bark is like this”. He felt the warmth of purpose fill
him.

He began to gently do something that most of us have forgotten – he began to love
himself on purpose. And the little tree began to really grow, for now the sap was flowing
strongly through his veins, feeding him with the inner strength he needed to be visible in
the world. He watched his branches growing, stretching outwards and upwards. His
leaves unfolding in the sunlight. He invited the birds and the insects back into his heart
and into his life. And everyday he began to see more of himself revealed to the world.

One morning he looked out and with great excitement he shouted out to the orchard, “I
know who I am! I know who I am! Finally… I know… I am the maker of little pink
blossoms!”

And the little voice inside said with the feeling of a smile, “Ah… but wait, the fruits of your
true self are yet to be revealed.”

So he waited, patiently.

One morning as the dawn light peeped over the orchard hills, he looked out and his heart
was filled with joy. He took a deep and beautiful sigh as a tear rolled down. He spoke
softly but with great presence, “I am an Apple Tree.” For there, packed on his branches
were many apples.

He came to know, that the still, wise voice inside had always been the voice of the Apple
Tree. The sun rose and set, and he grew into a beautiful Apple Tree.

Life and death dance together, and so the death of the orchard made way for new life. All
around him, the Apple Tree saw the saplings of new young trees growing. And as soon
as they were able, as young trees are prone to, they looked up at him and said, “Hello.
We see that you are much older and wiser than we are, so please sir, please tell us.
What is our purpose? What is it that we are supposed to do?”

He smiled broadly. And his heart was filled with joy, because he knew exactly what to
say…

He answered. ”Ah young trees, the answer is simple – you are asking the wrong
question!”

THE END