Lessons from a Post
Katlin Hecox, LMFT, LMT, Life Coach

My friend shared with me the story of the boy whose father had him hammer a nail into a post every time he did something wrong. Eventually the boy was asked to remove a nail every time he did a positive act until finally all of the nails were removed. Then the father pointed out that even though he had redeemed himself, the holes remained. As I understand it, the story’s point is that all of our acts have consequences and that we need to be responsible for the effects of our acts. Truly this is a valuable lesson.

But as I pondered this story, it raised other questions. How do we heal?  Do we never make a mistake? Are we forever injured by the nails thrust into us? My answers are answers of hope. 
    
We are always able to transform. 
The post was once a tree. Was it less than when it became a post? I don’t think so. It just had a different purpose. It may have supported a fence or marked a boundary. And this post actually became a teacher, its story offering a child a real way to become better, more responsible, and caring. Many of us have been injured by instances in life and have done what we need to do to restore our spirit. Our story becomes our strength, not our imperfection. 

Restoration of our energy and spirit is a way of becoming more. 
One of Merriam-Webster’s definitions of restoration is restoring to “an unimpaired or improved condition”. Imagine, the act of restoring may actually improve us, make us more. As a therapist and a coach, I have seen this occur in many people. 
      
Rethinking our expectations can broaden our vision. 
I lived in the desert for many years and posts there were often weathered by sand, wind and rain. I never thought of them as damaged. The fact is they were unique and beautiful. Maybe we are not seeing the full picture when we demand perfection. Maybe perfection really is what we become as a result of facing the elements of our life.
       
Love changes our point of view. 
What if we love the post, appreciating its lessons and feeling grateful for it’s sharing? Love is an artist that wakes up our potential. I used to have a neighbor who took slabs of wood and carved them into soaring eagles. I was amazed at how the grain of the wood would perfectly flow into the wings. When I asked him how he was able to know what to sculpt, he said he saw the shapes in the wood and simply brought it out.

Herbert A. Otto wrote “Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life”. Perhaps this is also true for posts.

Katlin Hecox is an LMFT, LMT, and Life Coach with a passion for energy wellness. She recently received the designation of Diplomate, Comprehensive Energy Psychology, with the ACEP. In addition to her private  practice, Heart Space Wellness, in Greensboro, NC,    and Danville, VA, Katlin works at Integrative Therapies  in Greensboro providing therapy and biofeedback. She can be reached at 434-822-0007 or visit heartspacewellness.com.