7 Ways Mother Nature Reminds Us How To Live Better
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”~Albert Einstein
Saturday mornings are for power yoga. This past Saturday’s session was held outdoors. It was an unexpected treat. Mother Nature set the backdrop for my best yoga workout to date. I am unsure of how to return to doing yoga indoors after this.
I am tempted to say that her majesty was preening like a peacock. She took my breath away with each pose I struck. But I know otherwise. This is her everyday presentation.
All over the world, for the last few months or so, mother nature has reminded us just who is in charge. As vicious as those lessons have been, Mother Nature is one of life’s exceptional teachers.
Following are seven reminders I got from Mother Nature about living a better life.
1. Don’t be afraid to mix it up or be different.
“No pleasure endures unseasoned by variety.” ~ Publilius Syrus
At last count, (sometime around 2011), it was concluded that the world is home to 8.7 million species. Nature confirms that it takes all sorts to make this big beautiful world come alive. Variety vitalizes life. It is indeed the spice of life.
Let this remind you not to force yourself to fit into a preset mold of imagery or ideology. Try different things and try and do things differently. Always allow for the opposite of the desired experience. For the negative version of anything teaches you how to appreciate and value its opposite preferred occurrence.
The world needs you in all your varietal splendor. As Jim Rohn said, “We need a variety of input and influence and voices. You cannot get all the answers to life and business from one person or from one source.”
2. The start does not indicate the finish.
“Rough or small starts do not disqualify great finishes.”
A mustard seed is usually about 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter. However, it can grow to an average height of between 6 and 20 feet with a 20-foot spread. Under ideal conditions, it can grow to a height of 30 feet tall.
A powerful reminder that how you start does not indicate how and where you will finish. Don’t undervalue your start. Many do not have the courage to even begin. Never compare it to others either.
Start small. Start messy. Start with doubt and start with fear. Start with whatever you have, with whatever you know and wherever you’re at.
Whatever your start may look like, never forget that consistent progressive effort turns amateurs into professionals.
3. Anything worthwhile takes time.
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
All the incredible creations you see in nature share one characteristic. They did not get that way overnight. What takes your breath away as you observe them took time to develop. For success, therefore, patience is par for the course.
Patience is not about waiting but how you wait. Nothing in nature is ever lying continually dormant as it waits to become whatever is next in line. Seen or unseen, something is going on.
Learn to appreciate the present while allowing the future to unfold. If you are waiting and bitching about why you are waiting, that is not patience.
Work while you wait. Work on yourself and work with others. Work on easy things and challenging things. Work on things that scare you and things that make you laugh. Work until your tired then rest and get back to work. Work and work hard for hard work works.
4. Life is not without warning signs.
“The universe speaks through events, y’all!” ~ Dove Cameron
Nature is full of warning signs of impending danger. Before a storm, birds stop chirping, and lakes become so still their surfaces get as smooth as glass. Bees disappear before it rains. Ladybugs huddle together before a heat wave and dogs howl and bark uncharacteristically before an earthquake.
The same goes for life. Life does not get better or fall off the rails without notice. There is always a sign. The higher your level of mindfulness, the greater the chance you will not be caught unaware.
Build mindfulness by staying connected to the present and not trying to relive the past or hasten the arrival of the future. Mindfulness alerts you to the moment when disruption is attempting to enter your life.
Forewarned is forearmed.
5. After a storm, life always blooms again.
“After the rain there’s a rainbow, after a storm, there’s calm, after the night there’s a morning, and after an ending, there’s a new beginning.” ~ Unknown
After a storm passes, birds resume their chirping. Ripples return to the lake’s surface. Bees return to pollinating, and ladybugs break free from their huddles. Petals and leaves that got blown begin to grow anew. The storm is but a temporary pause.
This is a reminder that bad moments only last if you hold on to them and refuse to let them pass. This is not the intent of life. Life is in constant motion. Let the good come and go. Let the bad come and go. Learn from each without laying claim to either for you control neither.
6. Better living requires flexibility and adaptability.
“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.” ~ Yann Martel
Nature’s flexibility and adaptability are unrivaled. Take the daffodil for instance. Its flowers typically droop to the side. However, during a strong wind, daffodils twist. They are aware of their fragility, so they turn so that the back of their petals face into the wind. Twisting allows them to assume a position of strength.
Flexibility and adaptability are strengths. They allow one to bend as opposed to breaking. With them, you carry less baggage. You move with ease through change and are therefore able to build a life of contentment.
7. Help can come from unlikely places.
“I believe that we are here for each other, not against each other. Everything comes from an understanding that you are a gift in my life — whoever you are, whatever our differences.” ~John Denver
Egrets pick harmful insects off the backs of water buffalos, horses, and cows. Since they are more sensitive to predators, hunters or other signs of danger, they also act as a warning signal.
Plover birds are the crocodile’s dentist. Crocodiles fight their natural instincts to bite down and eat them and allow them to pick off food stuck between their teeth. Meat ants protect butterflies from their shared predators. Honeyguide birds show honey badgers where to find honey. The list goes on and on.
The design of life is not one where the journey is to be undertaken alone. Egrets and water buffalos are nothing alike. Neither are plover birds and crocodiles. Yet, they help each other out.
Expect the unexpected for it too can bring the greatest of gifts.
Make time for Mother Nature for she has much to share. Schedule time to interact with her as much you can. She has the power to heal your mind and to strengthen your body and soul. And with it, you can conquer the whole world.
