Bramble – The Steady One

🦡 The Story of Bramble

Long before Bramble met Rowyn, he lived in a cosy little sett beneath an old oak tree, tucked away at the edge of the woodland.

Bramble is a thoughtful badger.

He loves his home. He loves the familiar paths through the woodland, the quiet of the evening and the feeling of knowing where everything belonged. Badgers are actually very much creatures of established paths and family groups, often returning to the same setts and using well-worn routes through the undergrowth.

“Bramble is our steady and dependable friend, reminding us that sometimes we need to slow down, feel grounded and know that someone is walking beside us”  - Meeting people where they are on their journey offering wise words & encouragement

But Bramble had another love . . .

He was always reading, He likes to read about the woodland, learning about the creatures who lived there, about things he didn’t understand, and most importantly about people.

He wanted to understand why some creatures seemed to know exactly where they were going while others became stuck at the crossroads.

Why did some voices get heard more easily than others ?

Why did some creatures get told what they should do before anyone asked what they actually wanted ?

And why, he wondered, did having someone beside you sometimes make such a difference ?

Bramble didn’t always have the answers - But he was very good at asking questions . . .

Rowyn had reached a fork in the woodland path - There were signs pointing in several directions :

WORK
SELF-EMPLOYMENT
LEARNING
SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Rowyn stood looking at them - “ Which way should I go ? ”

Several of the woodland creatures had suggestions - But Bramble didn’t point.

He didn’t tell Rowyn which path to choose - Instead, he sat down beside them, opened his book and said :

“ Perhaps we should find out what matters to you first ”

And that was the beginning . . .

Bramble discovered that this was what he had been looking for all along, Celtrose wasn’t about telling someone which path to take.
It was about walking alongside them while they explored the paths for themselves.

Bramble became the family’s steady thinker and wise companion.

When Rowyn wanted an answer, Bramble might ask a question.
When someone was overwhelmed, Bramble would slow things down.
When someone couldn’t see their own strengths, Bramble would notice them.

When someone said : “I can’t do that.”  -  Bramble wouldn’t immediately say : “Yes, you can !” - He would say : “What makes you think you can’t ?”

And then he would listen . . .

And this is why I think the glasses are important.

Bramble isn’t the family member who has all the answers.

He’s the member who looks more closely, whilst reading between the lines.

He notices things that others might miss, & he's interested in the story behind someone’s words.

So when Rowyn says : “I hate being told what to do.”

Bramble doesn’t decide that Rowyn is difficult, resistant or unready.

He opens his book, He listens . . . And he asks : “Tell me more.”

That makes him a perfect companion assisting you to Explore → Inform → Reflect → Decide

Every member of the Woodland Family has a particular contribution, and Bramble’s is :

Bramble - The Wise Listener

“Bramble reminds us that we don’t need to have all the answers. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is slow down, listen carefully and help someone discover their own.”

And there’s another lovely layer to him.

Bramble is a badger, and badgers live in social family groups called clans. They are also known for their well-established paths through the woodland.

So metaphorically, Bramble understands something really important about your work :

You don’t have to walk the same path as somebody else to walk alongside them.

And that is what makes Bramble an important part of the team being a great listener . . .

“ Slow down, Look closer & Listen well ”

Because that’s exactly what Bramble is asking mentors to do . . .

And I can absolutely imagine Bramble sitting beside Rowyn with his glasses on and his book open, quietly listening while Rowyn works out what their next steps on the journey are going to be . . . 📖🦡

"Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries - They just don't let these feelings stop them"
T. Harv Eker