Think like a tree: The natural principles guide to life

by Sarah Spencer

“Natural principles as a manual for the modern world”

Nature holds the secret to your happiness, health and wellbeing.

Now at last, you can unlock it.

We associate trees and woodlands with harmony, health and vitality. And yet, so often, we struggle to experience these qualities in our everyday lives.

What if we could harness the wisdom of the forest for ourselves?

Think like a Tree, the first guide of its kind, reveals the underlying principles of nature’s secrets of success one by one, and demonstrates how we can apply them to our own lives, in this practical personal development guide.

These natural principles evolved over billions of years—they’re the rules and patterns that all living things have in common for:

finding purpose
growth and success
solving problems
building resilience
creating ideal conditions to thrive
developing positive relationships
leaving a lasting legacy

Drawing on woodland examples from around the globe, Think like a Treeshares the amazing abilities of trees, their, evolutionary success stories and their abilities to heal.

Real-world case studies demonstrate how the Think like a Tree principles are being applied right now by people around the world.

Exercises for each of the principles allow readers to put into practice the wisdom shared by the living world in this unique and practical personal development book. .

This book guides you to discover your own personal route to happiness, health, success and fulfilment—whatever your circumstances.

The natural principles, harnessed from observations in nature, can be used for: .

wellbeing
physical health
psychological health and happiness
overcoming a life-challenge
motivation
coping with stress, anxiety and depression
transforming your life
relationship problems
work life balance
planning for the future, and more!

In addition, the book shares secrets from environmental philosophy, environmental psychology, biomimicry, permaculture, green living and sustainable business, to make this a comprehensive guide for living the life that you want to lead, whilst considering your impact on the planet.

Throughout the book author Sarah Spencer shares her inspirational real-life story of health recovery - how she used the natural principles to overcome significant illness, including chronic fatigue, allergies, auto-immune disease and migraine, and find her purpose and achieve happiness. She now spends her time inspiring others to use trees and nature to design the life they want to lead via books, workshops and online courses.

Author Sarah Spencer is passionate about trees. She lives on a smallholding in the National Forest in Derbyshire in the centre of the UK with her family, and loves growing vegetables, fruit and flowers. She manages a woodland that she designed and planted.

Genres: Nature

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2019

About the author

Sarah is passionate about trees and runs courses and workshops sharing how nature holds the key to our health, happiness and wellbeing.

Her unique book, Think like a Tree The natural principles guide to life, courses and online programmes share with people across the world how the same principles that make forests successful and enduring can be applied to our own lives. Her courses are now being delivered by an expanding network of facilitators, with backgrounds across diverse disciplines – health, education, business, complementary therapies, psychology and more.

For more details on courses and for the Think like a Tree blog see https://www.thinklikeatree.co.uk

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thinklikeatree

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thinklikeatree

Sarah holds a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design, and trained as a Forest School leader. She is a founder and permaculture designer of Whistlewood Common, a community woodland social enterprise in Derbyshire UK that supports people to learn how to live more sustainably. She is a passionate advocate of the benefits of reconnecting with nature, not only for ourselves, but for the rest of the living world with whom we share our planet.

In her spare time Sarah loves gardening, growing fruit, vegetables and cut flowers using on her nine acre smallholding. She is most at home sitting in the woodland that she and her family planted in the National Forest in Derbyshire UK, surrounded by birdsong, trees, plants and with her hands deep in the soil.

Reviews

[Kathy Wivell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important read

This book creates ideas for ways in which readers can 're-evaluate and modify their lives so that they not only feel happier, healthier and fulfilled, but also they benefit the environment and society in which they live. A very well researched and produced book with many thought provoking quotes, case studies and exercises alongside the discussion of the principles given.
The reference to trees was interesting and relevant most of the time, but a little stretched at others. However, I did enjoy that link to the natural world.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having completed the Think like a tree course last year, I was very keen to read this book and I was not disappointed. You do not need to have completed the course to access the book and learn more about the natural principles and how you can use these for self-help and apply them to your own life. As Sarah says, we are all connected to nature but in our modern world have become incredibly disconnected. This book is about reconnecting and using principles that have helped nature survive and thrive over millions of years. I will continue to dip in and out of it, as there are different things to relate to in different parts of your life and during different experiences. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something a little bit different, and perhaps people who feel they have become disconnected, but maybe don’t know why. The main thing is the book allows you to use this book as you see fit, to fit your life and your choices.

[Andy P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing. This book came in my life at a point I was and maybe still am a bit, confused. I have resigned from my well paid office job and I have no idea if I even want to go back in an office anymore. This book made me realize having a big salary and accumulating money on our account is not what makes me happy. Being out there on my bike and taking pictures in the nature or cleaning the forests (I started my own little re-cycle project with my husband and we started to clean the forests around our village) makes me truly happy. Helping others and giving an example on how to protect our Mother Nature makes me happy. Creating art and allowing nature to nurture and boost my creativity and writing skills, that’s what makes me happy.
Thank you Sarah Spencer for this amazing book.
And thanks to my dear friend Pascale who knows I love nature and when she saw this book, bought it and send it to me as surprise. I knew it will change my life.

[Gaia Dance]

Think Like a Tree is the best book I have come across to make our human connection to nature real, relevant and robust. Think Like Tree offers a delightful throughway from consummerism to the heart-led compassion and caring the natural world is crying out for today. If your perennial question is 'What can one person do?' author Sarah Spencer gives the fullest answer, and with that light touch that makes reading a joy!

[andy noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that I will refer to time and time again. Insightful and inspiring. Take lessons on how to lead a purposeful life from the world of trees. I would recommend to everyone. Change who we are and begin to focus on things that genuinely matter, just like trees.

[Bells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth a read/ listen!

[Stuart Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a useful self-help book, with some salient points. Very helpful links to books, websites, and projects. Trees used well to demonstrate some of the principles, although the tree connection is somewhat tenuous in places.
If we all acted like trees, the world would indeed be a better place.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written with some useful concepts.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Absolutely nothing new or ground breaking here. Basically get out in nature and enjoy it.