Nature smiles on us

Nature smiles on us if only we can be in tune. After all we are naturally part of nature. These days we, as a society, have alienated ourselves, largely because of our fragmentary way of thinking, that causes us to see everything as separate from everything else, when it might otherwise be seen that everything is connected with everything. Our way of knowing (our epistemology) shapes the world we live in.

When we allow our true self to surface and to encounter whatever is before us, only then might we encounter a different world and hence a different self. It happens more than we recognise or acknowledge. Those unguarded moments when we encounter the beauty of nature or the joy of living. Moments when we really see a flower or an insect or some play of nature with light in the mist or the drowning of puddles in a rainstorm or we wonder at the stars on a clear night.

For myself, I recall discovering that it was always worth the effort to leave the comfort of my sleeping bag and brave the elements in the hills, because nature would surprise me. In my unguarded moments she would present an unexpected vista or bring before me a deer or share some other gift. That discovery was itself a gift, which has stood me in good stead ever since. It is always worth making an effort to meet nature.

I would go further and say that without direct contact with the physical world “out there”, as unspoiled and natural as we can find, we are ourselves diminished.

As we experience a new springtime, make the opportunity to meet yourself in nature. A few moments is all it takes, in the right place, in the right state.