In a recent blog, I offered some advice to anyone suffering from a “sinking feeling” that was given to me many years ago: to “always be cork.” While I have utilized this analogy for many years, I never quite realized just how amazing this resilient tree bark really is until I happened on an article in the March/April issue of Optimist Magazine. Here are some the additional facts I learned about cork that I thought worth passing on:
- Cork lasts for up to three centuries.
- Cork trees are shaved every nine years, which accelerates the growth process and enables the tree to absorbs more CO2.
- Space shuttle nose caps are made of cork because of its ability to withstand high temperatures.
- Cork is the only known natural ingredient that repels water while soaking up other liquids, so in an oil spill it can absorb up to three times its size in oil without water, then can be pressed to extract the oil.
So, again, whenever you feel like you’re being weighed down by responsibilities, or you “can’t take the heat,” try thinking of yourself as cork. It is truly a miracle material that can work wonders for you as well, just by the act of mentally adding some to your constitution.
