On my way to work I saw a tree service cutting a huge limb that was hovering over the powerline. If that branch broke, it would fall & knock out the power in that area.They cut the branch, but they didn't cut the tree.I wish I was mature enough to initiate pruning in my life, but sometimes life's crew, called circumstances, comes along and cuts me.In those times I have to remember they cut my branch, but they didn't cut my tree.Life will prune you in the form of demotions, break ups, blowups, failures, setbacks, & major disruptions.Life actually did you a favor because as thick & fruitful as that branch seemed, you had no idea it was about to break and knock out your power.The loss is a gain, you just haven't realize it yet.I remember May 1, 2016 as if it was yesterday. When I walked into the office, my boss was to the left and the owner was seated at his desk.I was demoted.I was crushed-everything I worked for was wiped out.But they cut my branch, not my tree.It took me over a year to stop acting like a stump & rise and play like a trunk.My trunk is where my strength lies. Everything I needed to start over was right there in my trunk, but I can't get there acting like a stump.You can have a tree without branches but you can't have branches without a trunk, so you may lose a branch but you haven't lost your trunk.Pruning hurts and is scary because it's definite yet so uncertain. You can't solder a branch back together, but that's probably a good thing, because you're now lighter to climb higher.They may have cut the branch...but they didn't cut your tree.Your TSL Action:1. In your life, what was a cutting of a “branch” but you saw it as a “tree?”2. Are you acting as a stump or trunk?3. What else needs to be pruned?Email me @ thesaleslife1@gmail.comThis episode was recorded on Facebook Live. Connect with me and say 👋 @marshbuice on FacebookGet show snippets on IG, LinkedIn, & TicTokLearn on the go by subscribing to over 500 episodes of The Sales Life Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.