When was the last time you stepped outside and inhaled deeply? Perhaps you can recall a time you let your toes be tickled by grass, or stood in awe at the base of a mountain wall made of stone, craning your neck to see the blue sky. When was the last time gravel crunched under your feet, or a babbling brook laughed as it gurgled on by, while you sat, simply watching on stones nearby?
We’ve made another trip around the sun and arrived at Earth Day once again. Today, and every day, we hope to remember to take pause to acknowledge the amazing globe on which we live and the role we play in sustaining it. She requires care and attention, perhaps with an urgency unseen before. And in this celebration, we remember the interconnectedness of everyone and everything.
Khalil Gibran once wrote “And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” And in his poetic reflection is both a reminder and an invitation that the earth is longing for us, perhaps as much as we are longing for it. We need to be paying attention to her cries, yes, but also celebrating, slowing, and tuning in to the mystery that she offers as we spin through our days.
The Invitation – Return to Nature
When the pressure to do it all, to understand it all, or to conquer begins to overwhelm, retreat into nature. Whether your access to the natural world is limited to the blades of grass in a loud park in the city, or is more expansive in the wild wilderness underneath the stars, the amazing scale of the natural world puts our individual life into perspective.
Find permission in the truth that as humans, we can’t possibly do it all. Nature reminds us that we cannot count the drops of water in the ocean. Nor can we understand the answers to complex questions as life moves on. Every step forward in scientific understanding reveals even more unanswered questions. May you find a few moments to ponder all the mysteries that surround you.
And in the asking of these deeper questions, you can use these prompts to let go of the impulse to own what is true. You need not have all the answers.
How am I mysteriously a part of a much greater truth?
What is beyond my perception?
What communication is happening among and between species that we have yet to understand?
Return to Awe
Albert Einstein said, “One cannot help but be in awe when contemplating the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.”
Standing under a dark sky, one often forgets to turn their neck upwards. In the slight tilting of perspective is the opportunity for our breath to be taken away – copious amounts of stars await us, lighting the way and reminding us of the vastness of our universe. To stand witness to the magnitude of big stars made into tiny lights by distance and speed, so very far away, is awe inspiring.
Awe turns our attention outward, allowing our brains to be more receptive to new information and ideas. In paying attention to and savoring awe-inspiring experiences, we open our lens to creativity and innovation in ways that strengthen our leadership capacity. How can you harness awe to open to unseen possibilities?
Return to Ease
As you move into nature and observe the unique interactions of habitats and the creatures that live in them, you realize that all of the natural world lives in the only moment that exists – this moment. It’s unlikely an earthworm worries at night about whether the early bird will be coming the next dawn. Nor does it ruminate on the time it went off one way digging in dry sand instead of the rich loam in the other direction.
Instead, nature informs us that ease springs forth from deep trust in the potential of now. That the ever-shifting interplay of individuals and systems orients toward alignment and wholeness as the natural order of all that is. What lessons can we learn in this invitation to ease?
Delight in her…
Take a moment this Earth Day, and any day you have the chance, to pause, and to look, listen, smell, taste, and feel the natural world around you. As you recognize you are part of the greater whole, you can begin to explore your unique purpose and the actions you want to take that define your unique contribution to this world. There’s no need for rumination, what-ifs, or what could-bes in the now.
Instead, remind yourself that you belong in a bigger system, vast beyond measure, that is worthy of awe. And in these moments, as you strengthen your skills of awareness and connection, you will remember your true potential as the compassionate leader you were born to be.
Let the Earth delight in you. Take a breath. And delight in her.
”Earthrise” image credit: NASA.