I am sure I speak for all of us when I say our hearts are heavy, our brains are frazzled, and our anxiety is through the roof when it comes to everything in Ukraine. No doubt you have received pleadings from decent folk to donate to the refugees there. And your social feeds are regularly brimming with the latest bloodshed and bombings.
Today I’d like to offer you a different tonic. A salve for your soul. It is what I have done, where I go, and how I try to process things. And while I promise you this has worked on the few people I have shared it with, I cannot brag it will always work.
Turn away from the news of the war, the endless opining, and the mindless chatter. For just a few moments. Go outside and take three deep breaths. Yes, breathe in all that fresh air. Look around.
Pretend you are a child of eight and take in what you see through the eyes of a child. Wonder. Awe. Amazement. Surprise. Delight. Lean into those feelings.
Now, ask yourself. Do you see all the life and goodness around you or just a tiny part?
When you look at the tree, do you see a tree, or do you see the limbs, the bark, the buds, the nests in the crooks of the arms? Look at a squashed blade of grass or the still dormant plants sprawled in your garden. Do you see the magnificent potential for life or simply a half-alive sorry looking thing? When you encounter a puppy, a squirrel, or even a new robin, what do you know? The animal or an ever-flowing form of life?
My point is we all categorize our one way of viewing the world. And that is but a fraction of the whole truth. It isn’t enough. So today, while you are standing outside for a few brief moments, I ask you to look closer and more profound. Can you see the luminosity immanent in these living things?
Mother Nature can calm us, ground us and center us. But only if we allow ourselves to take in ALL the world. That is when we see the whole. Can you find reverence for Mother Nature?
Reverence is the act of deep witnessing, respect, and awe. You experience it when you perceive every being and everything—every plant, rock, and tree—as sacred and alive. Then, you naturally lean into a state of bliss and harmony and a profound sense of well-being.
That state of reverence, that feeling of bliss, no matter how short, small or fleeting, is the tonic we all need for our souls right now.
The problems going on can not be solved by one person or one nation. They will not be solved overnight. They will be with us for quite some time. Therefore, we owe ourselves a bit of peace on at least a semi-regular basis.
The old-fashioned model of appreciating nature will never go out of fashion. It almost always works. Please give it a try.
And if even a few minutes dial down your emotion and stress level, please share the technique with others in your circle. Because sharing is caring – in all the forms that work for us.
To your success!
