One Word That Will Alter Your Perceptions: Roots
The Essence of Connection: Our Common Ground
Today, I want to share with you one word—a word that can fundamentally change how you see the world around you: roots.
Think about it—roots. What do they represent? Strength, stability, connection. But they’re hidden, working silently beneath the surface, shaping everything we see above. We tend to focus on the trees—the outcomes, the visible—but we forget that what holds everything together is the unseen.
I want to introduce you to something extraordinary, a living testament to the power of roots. It’s called Pando—the largest living organism on Earth. It’s not just one tree, but over 47,000 aspen trees, all connected by a single root system, thriving together as one. Imagine that—thousands of individual trees standing tall in a forest, but beneath the ground, they are all united by the same roots.
What if we could live like that? What if our communities, workplaces, and our world could be as resilient and interconnected as Pando? The secret to this lies in something we all have access to: virtues. These universal virtues are the roots that connect us all, shaping how we interact with one another and our world.
But before we get deeper into these virtues, let me take you back to my own story. A story where roots—both literal and figurative—played a pivotal role.
A Life Shaped by Roots
I was born in 1970, a first-generation Greek Cypriot in Knoxville, Tennessee. My father, a farmer turned biophysicist, and my mother, a resilient woman who balanced a career and homemaking, filled my life with lessons of courage, faith, and humanity. These values became my roots.
In 1973, we visited Cyprus, where my mother was pregnant with my brother. I still remember my grandfather picking me up from school every day with a homemade ice cream cone in his hand—a symbol of love, community, and care. But that year also taught me something else. One day, my mother tripped while pregnant, but despite the fear and worry of our family, she stood back up, unshaken. She carried on—showing resilience in the face of adversity. From her, I learned that strength isn’t about never falling; it’s about rising each time you do.
Just one year later, in 1974, our family’s roots were shaken by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Our extended relatives fled their homes, leaving behind everything, including the memories stored in precious photo albums. The injustice was profound. I didn’t fully understand it then, but I felt it. Watching my parents, who had already endured so much under British rule, taught me about courage—courage that goes beyond the physical, courage that comes from within.
As I grew older, my personal challenges tested these roots. I was a quiet, introverted child, and school in America, where I didn’t speak much English, became a source of anxiety. Public speaking terrified me, to the point where I struggled with what is now known as selective mutism. But in 5th grade, something shifted when I was called to present a book report. I prayed for strength, and I found my voice. For the first time, I understood the power of faith and courage to transform fear into strength.
These experiences, moments of both tenderness and turmoil, are the stories that formed the roots of who I am today. And they taught me that the unseen virtues—courage, wisdom, and humanity—are what ground us. They are the roots that sustain us.
The Discovery of Universal Virtues
Let’s shift now to the larger picture. How do we all connect through these roots? How do we find common ground in a world that often feels divided?
Psychologist Martin Seligman and his team sought to answer these questions. They wanted to understand what makes life truly fulfilling across cultures, religions, and societies. After an extensive study, they discovered something remarkable: six universal virtues—qualities admired and valued by people across time, geography, and belief systems.
These virtues are the roots that connect us all, just like Pando’s trees. They were found in ancient texts, religious teachings, and centuries of human experience. And here they are:
Wisdom – The ability to see things clearly and make sound decisions.
Courage – The strength to face fear, challenges, and adversity.
Humanity – Kindness and compassion toward others.
Justice – Fairness and the pursuit of what is right.
Temperance – Self-control, balance, and moderation.
Transcendence – The ability to connect to something greater than ourselves.
Just like the roots of Pando hold up an entire forest, these virtues hold us up as individuals and as a society. They are what unite us, allowing us to embrace diversity while maintaining deep, common bonds.
Now, let’s break these down a bit further.
Wisdom helps us see beyond our differences and make choices that benefit everyone.
Courage gives us the strength to stand up, not just for ourselves, but for what’s right, even when it’s hard.
Humanity is what allows us to practice empathy—to see others not as strangers, but as part of the same human family.
Justice ensures that we treat others fairly, giving everyone a chance to thrive.
Temperance keeps us balanced, helping us regulate our emotions and actions, even in difficult situations.
And Transcendence lifts us beyond the day-to-day, reminding us that we are part of something much larger than ourselves.
These six virtues are the roots that connect us all, and when we nurture them, we create communities that are strong, resilient, and capable of flourishing—just like Pando.
How Virtues Shape Unity
But how do we cultivate these virtues? How do we, like Pando, create a network of roots so strong that nothing can break it?
Here’s the thing: these virtues aren’t just abstract ideas. They’re not theoretical. They’re real, actionable practices that can transform our lives and the world around us.
Let me tell you about a breakthrough I had in my own life. For years, I struggled with public speaking. The anxiety was overwhelming—my heart would race, my mind would go blank. But then I learned something fascinating from research in cognitive neuroscience. Anxiety and excitement are processed in the same part of the brain. The key difference is how we interpret the sensations.
Dr. Alison Wood Brooks, a Harvard Business School professor, found that simply reappraising anxiety as excitement can dramatically improve performance under pressure. I began practicing this shift—telling myself, "I’m excited," rather than, "I’m scared." It didn’t happen overnight, but slowly, I started seeing my nervousness as excitement, and it transformed my ability to speak in public.
What does this have to do with virtues? Everything. It’s about courage—the courage to face fear and reinterpret it as something empowering. And it’s about wisdom—understanding that the way we see our challenges shapes how we overcome them.
In the same way, each of us can practice these virtues in small ways every day. When we act with wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence, we strengthen the roots that connect us, creating communities where everyone can thrive.
A Call to Action
So, what’s the takeaway? Roots matter. The unseen, often unspoken virtues that connect us all are what hold us together.
The world today can feel fragmented, like we’re all individual trees standing alone. But beneath the surface, we’re connected by these shared virtues—the wisdom to understand, the courage to act, the humanity to care, the justice to be fair, the temperance to stay balanced, and the transcendence to reach for something greater.
The next time you think of roots, remember Pando. Remember the six universal virtues that unite us all. And remember that real strength doesn’t come from standing alone—it comes from being connected. The more we nurture these virtues, the stronger our roots become. And just like Pando, we can thrive together, building a future where everyone stands tall, supported by the invisible roots that connect us.
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