By DS Lauritzen

I just recently heard some intriguing characteristics about the palm tree that I thought related to life.

1. Palm trees break the bands. Ordinary trees do
not break the bands, chains, or ropes put around them as they grow. Palm trees will snap them right off. You may have done this yourself making a close line, stretching rope or wire across from one tree to the other. The bands begin to dig into the tree or the tree grows around the bands as it grows larger, eventually cutting into the trees growth and dying prematurely. The palm tree will actually break those bands as it grows, not allowing those bands to suffocate it. As a Child of God, we too can break the bands holding us back to live our most powerful self. Consider fear as the bands around us. Your fear might be the fear of not knowing, or even the fear of failure. Whatever your fear maybe, it could strangle us from completing what our Father in Heaven needs us to do. Break those bands of fear. What if you tried something new? What if you shared your testimony with a friend who needed a little comfort in her life? You will have great satisfaction and even more important find great joy when you act on your fear. Did you know to conquer fear is to act on it?
2. Palm trees will bend not break. As hur-
ricane winds will slam into these amazing trees, they withstand these deadly storms without breaking. They were actually made to bend, not break. In fact, the palm tree becomes stronger after each storm. We, ourselves are made to bend and not break. We become stronger as our storms or trials come to blow us down. We stand right back up and if we allow ourselves to learn from our trials we will become stronger just like the palm tree.
3. Palm trees not only survive but flourishes in the desert. The root of the palm tree grows deep below the surface to search out their water source, their nourishment. Our nourishment is the word of God. I have found that when I pray for the guidance before I pick up the scriptures or Ensign I have a much better understanding on what my Heavenly Father wants me to do. What if we asked our Father in Heaven what He wants us to get out of each of the stories? To go deep within ourselves and to be willing to listen to Him and then act on it?
4. A group of palm trees form an oasis. One palm tree standing alone will not provide much shade from the burning sun. A group of palm trees can not only provide ample amounts of shade but form an oasis. The definition of oasis is something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, or difficult. We can create the oasis in our home, allowing our children the much needed shade from the scorching rays of the world. By us standing as a family and living the gospel of Christ we are creating an oasis or even a Heaven on earth.

As we live our lives like the palm tree we will not only conquer the bands of fear but become stronger with every trial in our life. We will be able to bend and not break. We will discover deep within the word of God what we are meant to do all the while creating the oasis in our homes. We were created for two things: to be born and to discover and act on what we were born to do. The next time you see that palm tree remember the important lessons it brings to our lives and share that with others. That is what being your best self is all about.

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