A large, majestic oak tree is a useful metaphor for a whole human being:

The Roots:
Underneath the surface are the roots that ground you - these are your core values - that allow you to find your place in this world. You as the gardener must nurture them. What you water will grow - so it is crucial to nurture and foster the roots. These in turn develop a strong trunk [Coaches and mentors can be seen as the fertiliser and sheers that help to nourish, strengthen the positive aspects and prune away the negative aspects in your life so that you can achieve abundance].

The Trunk:
This is your truth. This is the “one word” that you need to discover - that encompasses all that you represent. The one word to live by. It is impervious and strong, but continues to grow and expand. The rings inside represent your life’s journey. Live what you represent.

The Branches:
These represent the different areas of your life [e.g. your finances, your spirit,  your relationships etc]. Naturally some are bigger than others. Why not make them all equally solid?

The Leaves:
These represent the possibilities for abundance. They soak up the sunshine and feed your soul.

The benefits of majestic trees:
There are so many great benefits that a large mature tree confers to its environment - shade, shelter, a home for birds and animals, a plaything for our children to climb, prevention of soil erosion and cleaning the air or simply a majestic being to be admired. 

I hope that this metaphor can help you to be the best parent, guardian, friend, collegue and person. Comments welcome.

Currently reading Williams and Menendez' work Becoming a Professional Life Coach. The second chapter discusses the language of coaching. In it I discovered these five powerful questions [which I have paraphrased] and what they represent. I believe that if you can answer these, you're on your way to winning at life.

1. How have you gotten to this point in your life?
2. Are there any places in your life that you are feeling incomplete? 
3. Are there any places in your life that require healing | closure?
4. How do you care for | nurture yourself?
5. If you knew success was guaranteed, what would you do different?

Why are these are powerful questions? The first gets at how a person sees themselves. It allows one to reflect on the past - crucial for insights on how to handle the future. The second two questions get at potential threats to winning - unfinished business that needs closure in order for one to achieve clarity. The fourth plants the seed of self-care - again crucial for future success. The last allows one to imagine  a different reality for onself.