We are now in the Christmas season and one of the memorable scenes at this time of the year in New York City is the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.

The Christmas tree is a large towering tree, some years it is up to 100 feet tall. It is decorated with more than 50,000 lights and, according to the official site, more than half a million visitors pass the tree each day during the Christmas season, from early December through January.

Recently, this year, I was working in the area around Rockefeller Center and was looking forward to seeing the tree fully lit. As I walked around a few days before Thanksgiving, I noticed the tree was already in place. It was not lit yet, but what struck me was the scaffolding around it.

I never really thought much about how the tree lights were hung. But as I got a closer look, it became clear that the wood planks and steel frame was absolutely necessary to allow workers to climb high up and into the tree to hang the thousands of lights, electrical wires and other decorations.

Rockefeller Christmas Tree hidden by scaffolding
Scaffolding on Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

As I saw the scaffolding and the tree hidden underneath, I immediately saw the connection to the Create Your Garden of Eden process. This process is the scaffolding for you to build your Big Dream!

We are all looking to find our purpose, build our dream life, and establish our Masterpiece in Life like a major Christmas Tree that stands 70 -100 ft tall in the center of our lives. Our Masterpiece is decorated to make us stand out and be significant – in whatever way we define significance and relevance. And it is a unique expression of who we are.

And our Masterpiece when completed will be something we can be proud of and that reflects who we are. We should be able to look on proudly and say it is “very good.”

The CreateYourGOE process is similar to the necessary scaffolding before the Masterpiece is revealed. It keeps the Masterpiece hidden while we focus on the inner work. During the construction phase, often you cannot see the building when it is covered in scaffolding. Similarly with the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, if one looked at the structure from a distance, all that was visible was the scaffolding. It was only when you are very close could you see some branches of the tree to let you know a tree was inside all the metal and wood.

Scaffolding is necessary to support the structural work, the electrical, repair or maintenance work in any major building which cannot be done from a ground level. It also protects workers during the building phase and ensures they can get to the top and move around in safety. And the scaffolding is the sign that some great construction is ongoing.

The Create Your Garden of Eden process, like scaffolding, takes you through all the elements you need to ensure your Masterpiece is both functioning as intended and is beautiful to view.

  • On Day Zero in Pre-Creation, we determine our end goal and where we want to go
  • On Day One, we get clarity and eliminate the immediate obstacles to getting started
  • Day Three, we put the foundation, and the planning in place.
  • On Day Four, we budget and develop action plans for future seasons.
  • On Day Five, we consider alternate scenarios.
  • On Day Six we bring all the components of the Masterpiece together and
  • On Day Seven, we move forward with our Masterpiece in place and performing at our best from a position of peace and rest in Him.

So as you embark or continue on building your purpose, do not overlook the importance of the scaffolding. If the scaffolding is faulty, or not strong enough, it can hinder the completion of a great masterpiece. Use the scaffolding during the season of construction. Step on it with confidence. Hang your lights high up. Do all the hidden work for the project or the business or to get to your fitness goals.

Scaffolding does not stay up forever. When all the initial work is finished, you can step back, remove the scaffolding and let the Masterpiece you created and built as part of your ideal life shine for all to enjoy.