Forest Growth and Sisu: the Finnish inspiration of quiet sustained endurance

Time Makes the Miso: A series on the power of patience inspired by cultural wisdom.

Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

While writing Time Makes the Miso: Japanese inspired life lessons on the power of patience, I knew I wanted to learn more about the wisdom in patience from various cultures around the world. I want to learn more because I need every nourishing word about patience I can get.

Somewhere deep within me lies a seed of self-imposed pressure—a drive to be punctual that often leaves me feeling rushed, even when I’m on time. Previously, I’ve balanced this trait with meditation and long walks in nature. In more recent years, parenthood, however, has limited my time for long hikes, and I now see how my internal rush is seeping into my children’s lives. It saddens me, as I don’t wish to pressure anyone, but by being under pressure, even the self-imposed kind, as a parent, it all rubs off.

So, with a heart intent on embracing the fullness of time, I am looking at patience from all the angles I can think of as I lean into relearning my own.

Knowing I wanted to explore various lessons on patience from nature and then link them with cultural wisdom, it became clear a series was beginning. After the wisdom of Japan, I looked out to one of my favourite parts of nature, the trees. I spent whole weekends as a child up in a tree. They have long held me. As I began researching a culture that leaned into the wisdom of trees, I came across Finland, the home of ancient, vast, and serene forests. The lessons these forests teach us aren’t just about nature’s beauty; they are lessons in resilience and quiet growth. Just as the trees take root and rise slowly over decades, Finland offers a cultural understanding that time is essential to lasting growth in nature and in life.

In this article, we’ll explore patience from the angle of the slow, steady growth of Finland’s forests and how they mirror a deep wisdom about time and perseverance in Finnish culture. We’ll also uncover sisu, the uniquely Finnish trait of quiet fortitude, and see how it aligns with nature’s own steady rhythms.

Photo by K8 on Unsplash

The Finnish Forest: A Lesson in Quiet Growth

Finland is one of the most forested countries in Europe, with nearly 75% of its land covered by trees. Walking through these forests, the stillness and timelessness of nature become palpable. The trees, some of which have stood for centuries, grow slowly but steadily, deeply rooted in the soil. For the Finnish people, these forests represent more than just natural resources; they symbolize a way of life that values patience, perseverance, and respect for time.

Forests take decades to mature, and in Finland, sustainable management of these forests reflects the cultural understanding that growth cannot be rushed. Trees are carefully harvested only when fully mature, ensuring that the forest will thrive for generations. This respect for time reflects a broader truth: what is built slowly and steadily lasts longer, whether it’s a forest, a relationship, or a personal goal.

Sisu: The Finnish Spirit of Patience and Endurance

At the heart of Finnish culture is the concept of sisu. While there’s no direct translation in English, sisu encompasses deep inner strength, determination, and perseverance, especially in the face of challenges. It’s the quiet force that carries Finns through the long, dark winters and life’s difficulties. It doesn’t rush or demand quick results but instead endures—much like the trees that grow slowly but surely over time.

Sisu teaches us that real strength isn’t found in shortcuts or immediate outcomes. Just like the trees that stand tall after decades of patient growth, sisu is about enduring, persisting, and trusting the process.

Photo by Tapio Haaja on Unsplash

Growth That Can’t Be Rushed: The Forest as a Metaphor for Life

Just as the Japanese value time in the careful fermentation of miso, Finland’s forests offer a powerful metaphor for life. Trees take years to develop fully—roots spread deep underground long before visible growth appears. This unseen foundation is critical for the tree’s survival, especially in the harsh Finnish winters. In the same way, much of our growth happens internally, beneath the surface, before it becomes visible to the outside world.

This serves as a reminder that just because we can’t see progress doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

Whether you’re building a career, nurturing a relationship, or working on personal development, the most meaningful growth often takes time. Rushing the process could leave you with something fragile and incomplete, just like a forest that’s harvested too soon.

Patience in Practice: The Finnish Approach to Time

Finnish culture places immense value on patience and taking things at their natural pace. The long, dark winters are accepted not as something to endure but as a time to rest, reflect, and prepare for the coming spring. This cyclical approach to life mirrors the rhythms of nature, and it fosters resilience.

This patience extends beyond seasonal rhythms to the Finnish approach to work and relationships. Success and deep connections are not hurried. Just like forests can’t grow overnight, neither can meaningful experiences in life. Finns are comfortable with the idea that the best things take time, and they trust in the slow unfolding of growth, whether personal or professional.

The Wisdom of the Finnish Forests: A Call to Slow Down

Much like the patient process of fermenting miso, Finland’s forests invite us to slow down, breathe, and appreciate the quiet wisdom that nature offers. In a world where we are constantly pressured to do more and move faster, the forest reminds us that growth isn’t a race—it’s a process that requires time, nurturing, and care.

Growth that lasts takes time. Whether we’re pursuing personal development, learning a new skill, or building a relationship, the most meaningful progress comes from steady, consistent effort over time.

Embracing Sisu in Our Own Lives

The lesson of Finland’s forests and the concept of sisu encourage us to shift our mindset from seeking quick fixes to appreciating slow, steady progress. Just as a forest grows little by little over decades, we too can grow by embracing patience and perseverance.

As for me, I am imagining the patience of trees as if I can plant it in my children’s lives with a steady approach or reapproach, I tell myself - it is never too late to start again. When I next need it I will take a deep breath of forest air as if it also breaths into me the steady strength of the forest.

Photo by K8 on Unsplash

Here’s how we can cultivate sisu and patience in our lives:

1. Accept that growth takes time: Whether it’s learning something new, pursuing a dream, or working on yourself, remind yourself that true growth happens slowly.

2. Focus on small, consistent steps: Just as trees grow little by little, celebrate the small steps you take in the direction of your goals.

3. Develop inner strength: Sisu is about resilience and sticking with something even when it’s hard. Trust that you have the strength to endure life’s challenges.

4. Find peace in patience: Patience doesn’t have to feel like waiting—it can be a time of reflection, learning, and inner growth, just like trees develop deep roots before they grow tall.

An Invitation to Grow Slowly and Steadily

Much like the careful fermentation of miso in Japan, Finland’s forests remind us that some of the most significant growth in life happens over time. The greatest transformations often occur slowly and without fanfare. Trust the process, honour your own journey, and allow your growth to unfold in its own time.

The Finnish forests offer us a simple yet powerful message:

Be patient, and let your roots grow deep.

IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME ~ By Ta Hiron

A tree grows in the fullness of time

I am

In the fullness of time I grow

In the fullness of time I become

In the fullness of time I learn

And yet, I also am

I am everything I will become

In the fullness of the journey, I grow wise

And I already know of worlds 

Two things are true

My journey is what I am, 

and becoming the master of my art

Roots grow deep in the fullness of time

My days are a journey in the fullness of my life

I am 

LINKED IN THIS ARTICLE:

• Time Makes the Miso: Japanese inspired life lessons on the power of patience

• References: The Forest Relationship in Finland, Forests – an integrated part of Finnish life, Sisu.

MORE BEAUTIFUL ARTICLES ON THE POWER OF PATIENCE:

• Prompt 307. Slow Living by SULEIKA JAOUAD

• Sisu: Unraveling the Finnish Spirit of Perseverance by DAVID WEBB

• Every person is a tree. Every tree tells stories by PIERCE TAYLOR HIBBS

Much of our growth happens internally, beneath the surface, before it becomes visible to the outside world.

Ta Hiron

P.S. Last weekend, I ventured into the Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania and captured this magnificent tree/s that is everything I thought sisu could be.