Who do you speak for?
I recently saw the movie, The Lorax. This is a favorite story from Dr. Seuss, a beloved children’s book author. On the surface, this movie seems to be about the environment, and how greed and progress can create moral and ethical dilemmas in our lives, I instantly recognized a different story as the Once-Ler tossed down the last Truffula seed to the boy.
I felt for the Once-Ler in this movie, as I realized he never had any bad intentions with his invention, the Thneed, he was just trying to follow a dream. And in the pursuit of that dream, things got a little out of hand. While growing up, the Once-Ler developed beliefs about himself that he would never be good enough (not unlike many of us), and so his poor treatment of the trees and the world around him occurred as he was trying to prove to everyone around him that he was good enough.
The Once-Ler even has his own arguments in his head as he knows he’s just a bit off of his path and purpose, but there are just too many people to fight to get back on path, and so it seems to be easier to continue cutting down the trees, while cutting down his own heart and soul with every bit of nature that goes away with each chop.
The Once-Ler gets to a point where it is too hard to return from. At least it appears that way. This felt very familiar to me.
The feeling that you’ve made too many bad choices to ever redeem yourself and recover. It seems that the path just has to continue down the road that you didn’t really want, but found yourself on. Have you ever found yourself down this road? As if you are looking at yourself from across the valley, but somehow can’t yell loud enough to get back on the right path?
There is something so magical that happens with storytelling, being able to witness someone’s differing perspective and what it turns up for us in our soul. And then something you’ve been grappling with jumps out and grabs you when you least expect it.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s going to get better. It’s not.”
And with that sentence, I was no longer hearing about the environment.
What I heard?
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot about your your own life….”
And my whole perspective about the story shifted in a moment.
Are you keeping your seed from growing?
Are you the Lorax speaking for the trees? Or is this the time to speak For Yourself?
Being the Lorax is noble, but how did he start? I think he went on this journey himself and began speaking for others because he had mastered speaking for himself. Are you speaking for others, or for something you don’t quite believe in, instead of mastering your own inner voice? Before letting your own truffula seed grow in your heart?
Are you gonna let it grow? Are you gonna let your own seed grow?
The Lorax speaks for the trees because they can not speak for themselves.
Who in your life is going to speak for you, if not yourself.
Who in my life is going to speak for me, if not me.
“Hi, I’m Heather and I speak for me.
I want my truffula seed to grow, and to grow mighty big. I’m ready to stand for myself, and to dance a crazy jig.
My life is complete, there is so much to celebrate. My heart is yearning to sing, this isn’t one to delegate.
I just need a little air, a little water, a little love, and perhaps a bit of earth. My world will rock when I take this stand and recognize my birth.
My truffula tree is growing, as tall and strong as it can be. My name is Heather and I speak for me.”
Have you tended to your truffula seed lately? It is the last one you know….
Originally written April 6, 2012.
