Nature

There isn’t really anything quite like it. Anyone who has talked to me ever knows how much I love the vibe of a big city and downtown life, but nothing quite speaks to me like nature.

I often find my self all frazzled after a long day, but once I just sit and take in what's around me, it's relaxing. It reminds me of the tranquility of the trees and the peace of the plants. So often in our busy lives we just keep going and going and forget that nature is even there at all.

So what is it about nature that is relaxing? Well, let me tell you what I think

1. It reminds us that life often has a way of working itself it out

Few people would say that their life is perfect, and they are probably lying if they are. Every living thing encounters hardships and obstacles, but that doesn’t stop nature, nor should it stop us. Trees growing upwards reach for the sun in any way that they can. Their roots break up concrete as they search for water and nutrients. As Jurassic Park taught us: “Life will find a way.”

Despite adversity, nature pushes on. It's so easy to get caught up in the messiness of life. Stuck in our situations. I'm the king of that; but instead of waiting for life to come to you, sometimes you gotta go after it.

2. It reminds us that life is often out of our control

Planning an outdoor event? Expect rain. Especially if you in live in north east Ohio, land of every weather ever.

We can’t control weather. We can’t force nature away (weeds know no boundaries.) Many people have lost their lives to awful storms and disasters and there wasn’t anything that could have been done in a lot of cases.

We can’t control all of our outcomes. I certainly didn’t choose to have a painful constant disease that changed nearly all aspects of my life. Just like the person who didn’t choose to have their spouse leave them, or the person who lost their job due to company layoffs.

This isn’t meant to scare you, but to remind you that trying to control everything will exhaust you and is in the end meaningless. Now don’t be a silly goose and take this as you shouldn’t do anything, but simply control what needs to (like going to work and eating right for example) and let go of anything that is beyond control.

There is freedom in that.

3. It reminds us that life is creative and expressive

Paint a picture. Snap a quick photo. Draw a comic strip. Play an instrument. Tell a story. Share your past. Ask the big questions.

All humans possess the ability to be creative and express their feelings and thoughts, even if we aren’t that great at it. When I look a nature I see the story it tells, and for me that speaks of Someone bigger than anything on this epic planet.

Thats another story for another day.