Lessons From Centuries Old Cedar Trees

Centuries Old Cedar Trees, originally uploaded by setyr.

One of my favorite subjects when I was a young elementary student in the Philippines was Philippine Culture, and there is this one parable about endurance that never got out of my head. The story was entitled 'Pliant Like A Bamboo'. It basically tells a tale about how the different kind of trees thought that they could beat the wind. Everybody failed except the bamboo tree. Instead of standing tall and adamant against the strong typhoon, it gracefully bowed down at times, swaying its lean and flexible body in the same direction as the wind. So when the storm finally passes by, everybody else have died except for the resilient bamboo tree.
I relived my younger days when I finally saw how really old cedar trees, dating as far back as 3000 years ago survived the test of time. They are not as graceful as the bamboo tree, and yet their legacy stands tall, proudly looking up to the sky and claiming their own spot in our earth's revolution. Then when I looked closely I saw that most of these old trees have hollow trunks, they look really empty. But the beauty in them is that as they age, their roots spread survive and attach themselves to aging branches, or even worn-out trunks. I began to think that what if endurance doesn't just mean going with the flow, what if it means also means sacrifice, for the greater good and for others who have better chances at survival. In the end, maybe what matters is how we have impacted our own little environment to make it better and safer.
So now I guess the question is, should I be pliant like a bamboo? Or should I be selfless like these cedar trees?