Roots vs. Walls / by Alexander Lyadov

Picture yourself building a grand house. You’ll need a sturdy foundation, with long piles driven deep. If the soil’s loose and soggy from groundwater, you can’t skip waterproofing the concrete.

Your home, a symbol of safety and warmth, loses its meaning if nature’s forces secretly gnaw at its base, don’t they? Without sealing it tight, you’re doomed to lose your sanctuary one day.

Now imagine an acorn falling into rich black soil. That thick, stinking mud has swallowed countless plants and creatures. Your first thought: “Ugh, gross! Just don’t get dirty.”

If that acorn could speak, it’d laugh and say, “Are you nuts? This is a black paradise! Nothing in the world’s finer, richer, or tastier!” Coating an acorn in sealant? That’s death.

What’s the difference here?

The house is a man-made thing, thrust into a world that might turn hostile. For man, nature’s less a mother, more a stepmother. He’s got to stay sharp.

But for the acorn, soil’s its natural home. It’s bound to the earth—without soil, no oak grows. And without oaks, nature itself would look mighty different.

Why’s this matter? Protection wears you down. It eats your strength.

If you’re stepping into a new market, forging a partnership, or switching jobs, try turning that strange, scary world into something neutral—or better, friendly.

How? Study the new ground carefully, take your time. But the real treasures? They’ll shine through the muck when that foreign place feels like home.

Sincerely yours,

-Alexander


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