Nature
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in order.” - John Burroughs.
Geopolitical news continues to create a sense of unease and chaos. We must remember that we have a choice in how we respond. We must nurture our souls by choosing what is good for our mental well-being.
To reduce my anxiety, I like to head outside to an area where nature is minimally disturbed by human beings. We are so fortunate in Prince Edward Island that getting to a nature spot doesn't take hours. It takes 2 to 20 minutes in any direction, and voila—we are in the centre of peace.
Wendell Berry's poem below is a profound meditation on finding solace in nature amid our anxieties. Berry’s words serve as a gentle guide, reminding us that peace is always available, waiting in the quiet presence of the wild. His words are an invitation: He tells us to step outside, reconnect, and find refuge in the simplicity and stillness of nature.
"The Peace of Wild Things"
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
The poem reminds us that nature offers a kind of grace, a place to set down our burdens and be. Peace is not found in overthinking or attempting to control the future. But it here in surrendering to the natural world's rhythms. Wendell invites us to trust in something larger than ourselves, to rest in the "grace of the world."
Nature has a rhythm all of its own.
"The goal of life, after all, is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature." - Joseph Cambpell, author of The Hero's Journey.
Be under an open sky. With something so vast, we can witness the quiet miracles unfolding around us. Mary Davis reminds us, "To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles."
The natural world offers wisdom that asks us to slow down, listen, and trust in its steady unfolding.
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Immerse in the beauty of nature - take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly to discover strengths you never realized existed. This newfound resilience helps us weather life’s challenges. Rachel Carson is an influential American marine biologist, author, and conservationist. She is widely recognized for her pivotal book, Silent Spring. She states, "Those who reflect on the earth's beauty discover enduring strength that lasts throughout life."
I find the forest makes my heart and mind calm and my soul revived.
Get outside.
“The earth has music for those who listen.” - William Shakespeare.
Inspiring Things
MUSIC VIDEO: a beautiful piano piece by Joep Beving - Paris
PHOTOGRAPHY: Canadian Geographic Wildlife Photography
