You Can't Change The Fruit Without Changing The Root

You can’t change the fruit without changing the root.

Sometimes we’re just waiting for things to be different. For whatever reason we think things will change on their own. A system or routine or mode of operation will continue to produce exactly what it is designed to do. Sometimes this is good, we’ve worked hard to incorporate certain positive habits in our lives, and we’re getting exactly the result we’re looking for. If that’s the case in your life, as I imagine it is in many areas, then well done! But, what about those areas that aren’t?

I love this metaphor because it’s so visual. I just imagine someone taking a chainsaw to the trunk of a tree, thinking they did something massive, only to wait a few months for the tree to grow back and find it producing exactly the same fruit it was before.

This is a philosophy people use in medicine. They say instead of quote putting a band-aid on the issue, doctors are told to address the root cause that creates the pathology.  

Oftentimes, that root isn’t what you’d expect it to be, something that first thought is distantly related and seemingly indirectly contributing to the outcome. But, all of those layers are just your conscious mind trying to rationalize and defend yourself from the truth in the subconscious. By doing the work and gaining clarity on the root, we can begin to change the fruit.