Nature video of the day: “still life” of a frozen creek in winter, with water trickling below the ice. Go ahead and listen to the healing sounds of nature as you read below.
the flow of life
slows down
in
winter
icing
over
the
mole
mound
igloos
dotting the land
and over the trickling water
creating extravagant shapes
and intriguing designs
as the creek freezes
into plates
and fractals
downhill
the
ice
grows
t
a
l
l
e
r
and wider
as it touches
more of its kind
expanding from bank to bank
an ephemeral bridge
to hold the weight
of one person
place
or
thing
at
a
time
- Cheryl M.It’s been said that if you don’t have enough time to do something important, you should spend even more time doing it - whether that be exercising, meditating, fasting, creating, or spending even more time in nature.
So, we’d like to ask, are you spending enough time in nature?
Are you able to get outside for long enough periods of time to relax?
Does it feel good to be outside?
Would you get outdoors more if the weather was better?
Or if you had someone to explore nature with?
Is there anything that stops you from getting outside every day?
Depending on the season, the amount of time you spend outdoors may be more-or-less, but what you really need to know, is that in order to love the Earth, it’s best to get outside and show your appreciation on a more-or-less daily basis.
Think about it, the more time you spend on your phone or other device, the more time you take away from other day-to-day activities, like cooking, cleaning, reading, spending quality time with family and friends, and again, creating.
With screen-time hours at an all time high (though I expect it hasn’t quite reached its peak yet), one can only wonder where the mindless scrolling will take us.
What I’m asking you to do is this: choose a day this week to reconnect with nature. Get outside and spend at least 10 minutes on your own, in a place you can’t be disturbed (or let people know not to bother you for that short amount of time), and in a space where you can enjoy silence or the sounds of nature.
Leave your phone at home. Take off your watch and forget about counting the minutes. See how long you can stand the ephemeral solitude of just sitting, listening and watching the relative stillness of the outdoors.
Be the watcher. Be the watched. Just be.
And accept that your time spent in stillness is as meaningful as any “work” that has to be done.
Rest, dear readers. Today, as you sit by the virtual icy creek, simply rest, and be.
As for the journal prompt of the day:
In what ways are the out-doors vs. digital-doors scales out of balance in your life?
Whatever you responded to the poll above, now replace it with the question:
How many hours do you spend online on a weekly basis?
You only need to answer this to yourself. A very quick look may show a big difference in numbers, and if it surprises you, then perhaps it’s worth making a positive change in your habits.
You could start with a digital detox, or a digital fast, as I like to call it, to address the issue at large. There are many ways to go about doing this, starting with turning your phone off earlier each night, to not turning it on after a certain time in the morning. You could even go the entire day without looking at, or touching it!
Crazy times call for crazy measures.
Stay safe out there, in whichever world you are dipping your toes in,
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