the trees are not afraid of taking up space, so should you.

It’s a Tuesday morning. The sun paints the landscape with warm, beautiful orange streaks. I wake up to the sound of birds chirping and make myself a warm cup of coffee, head already heavy with big questions: What’s the agenda for today? Where should I film my next video? How do I build my channel?

Already crowded by thoughts, I look outside my window to find relief in nature — a habit I formed once I realised that looking into blank space can provide more room for my mind to breathe. And I see the maple tree standing as tall as a 2-storey house. It’s winter in Melbourne, and the leaves are leaving, revealing the skeleton of a magnificent, wondrous thing.

I don’t know whether it’s the caffeine kicking in or my own tendency to romanticise little things, but I find it’s so poetic — the way trees never apologise for occupying space. They do not lower their branches to seem more agreeable, nor do they ask permission before stretching toward the sun. They simply grow — reaching and branching into whatever shapes their lives ask of them.

Lately, I’ve been questioning my decision to become a content creator. It feels so much easier to find a stable office job and be done with it. But looking at the tree gives me a self-reflection: Why can’t I demand more for myself? Why can’t I allow myself to dream big and become big?

Funny how the more we grow up, the more we try to shrink ourselves down. We learn to soften our opinions, lower our voices, laugh off what hurts, and silence our needs before they inconvenience anyone else.

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