A few mornings ago I was taking an early walk through the park. No phone. No podcast. Not running, just walking.
I set out on an intentional expedition to be present with myself, realising that I had accidentally let a lot of what I call “white space” in my agenda be absorbed by inspiring projects and social interactions. I’d temporarily lost connection to myself and could feel my internal speed increasing, perceiving urgency whereas everything in my reality was actually happening in perfect timing.
False urgency was alive in my nervous system.
When I detect this happening, I make it a priority to slow down and reconnect. Because as they say in the US Navy Seals, 'slow is smooth and smooth is fast.'
Nature is often my go-to “life hack” for correcting my internal speed and modulating stress.
So I set out with that intention to slow down and tune in. And what I found after a long round of the park, was that I was experiencing a whole new kind of overwhelm… I was overwhelmed by the beauty around me.
While I’d been hurrying along internally, so had the spring here in the northern hemisphere. And because I had slowed down to take it in, I noticed so much more about what was happening in nature. The birds were chirping louder. There were all kinds of blossoms appearing. The green coverage across the trees had spread at a staggering rate and now provided solid cover overhead. Ducks and other freshwater birds seemed to delight in the early morning sunshine.
Their joy was palpable. And I had caught it.
I didn’t just observe these things that morning, I really took time to feel them and be in a state of awe. In awe of the beauty.
This experience reminded me of one of the concepts that one of my favourite thought leaders of this time, Dr Zach Bush MD, speaks to often:
It's actually beauty, rather than love, which creates the fabric of our existence (as much as John Lennon might beg to differ!). While love sometimes feels unavailable or hard to get, while it might seem like we have to earn it, or work for it, beauty is always available. So instead of seeking love, seek beauty.
If this concept inspires you, or if you have had challenges in connecting to the concept of love, I invite you to listen to this 15 minute clip with Dr Zach (a physician specialising in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care) as he speaks to this concept, and see what it inspires in you.
I trust this will move you.
For context, these words are spoken by a man who has spent much of his professional life working with oncology patients as well as in end of life care, and who has a particular interest in emerging technologies such as regenerative agriculture as key building a more co-creative relationship with nature.
Allow this to be the broader invitation to you - find beauty...
The steam rising from a cup of tea.
The sun coming up.
The sun setting.
A flower unfolding its petals into full bloom.
Fog blanketing the landscape.
Watching someone you care about sleep.
The lines on the beach where the tide reached.
The lines on your face which tell tales of life lived.
The sound of silence.
Allow beauty to connect you back to yourself. “You are a force to be reckoned with. You are graceful. You are beautiful…”
Happy Wellness Wednesday. What will you do for your wellness today?
Walking the path with you.