Happy Earth Day 2021! Earth Day reminds us of the interconnection of everyone and everything, and the opportunity to reflect on how that profound wisdom can influence our lives and our leadership. Today, and every day, take a pause to acknowledge this amazing globe on which we live and the role we play in sustaining it.
Celebrate the Mystery
Does the pressure to do it all, to understand it all, or to conquer it all ever begin to overwhelm? If so, moving into nature is the perfect response. The natural world has an amazing scale that puts our individual life into perspective. We can’t possibly do it all. Could we count the drops of water in the ocean? We can’t understand it all. Every step forward in scientific understanding reveals even more unanswered questions.
So, step into nature, and ponder all the mysteries that surround you. What is beyond our perception? What communication is happening among and between species that we have yet to understand?
Being in nature helps us to let go of the impulse to own what is true, and think we have all the answers. Instead we recognize that we are mysteriously a part of a much greater truth.
Move Beyond Yourself
Who doesn’t have their breath taken away when they notice the massive numbers of stars in a dark night sky? It is awe inspiring. Awe is a powerful emotion, and yet another reason to get into nature. 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.”
Awe is one of two emotions, along with elevation, which turn our attention outward rather than inward, 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 compassionate leadership skills.
Enjoy This Breath
Does an earthworm worry at night about whether the early bird will be coming the next dawn? Does it ruminate on the time it went off one way digging in dry sand instead of the rich loam in the other direction? As you move into nature and observe what is going on, you realize that all of nature lives in the only moment that exists – this moment.
The wisdom of nature is a profound gift available to us, if only we allow ourselves to be its student. Nature doesn’t create worry and regret to diminish the present moment. Perhaps we could learn to do the same thing. Sit with just nature and your breath for a little while, and you can’t help but be drawn into the now.
In Closing…
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. That feeling of interconnectedness will help strengthen your skills of awareness, connection, empathy, and action – the skills of a compassionate leader. As you recognize you are part of the greater whole, enjoy the clarity of purpose and actions that define your unique contribution to this world.
”Earthrise” image credit: NASA.