Feeling Disconnected? Look Up.

one way I push back against the norm of hustle and constant stress (book excerpt)

This is an excerpt from my book!

from: Chapter 2 - what is broken & what can change?

I want to push back against what has been expected of me.

I plan to live my life according to wisdom, healthy boundaries, and the goals I am reaching for. I have found that impossible when I blindly follow the path laid out before me by others.

Here is one of the ways I push back against cultural norms.

STARING AT THE STARS - AWE

“The star splatted sky made me realize that my worries are not as important as I thought they are, but what I can DO in the world is more important..” – a combat veteran healing at a nature retreat

“There is nothing that nature can not repair.” - Emmerson[1]

at Crescent City / Redwoods KOA - Oct. 2020

A few years ago, we took a long RV trip to the Oregon coast. My favorite part was Crescent City. We stayed at a KOA campground tucked into an old growth redwood forest.

I remember just staring up at the redwood trees absolutely amazed that anything could be so gigantic. Their massive trunks, cloaked in dense fibrous bark, reached up into the sunlight. The thick bark was striped with vertical lines that stretched up where the branches began over 30 feet above us.

When you touched the base of the tree it seemed fragile, and pieces crumbled off in your hands. The wood was soaked with moisture from the drizzling rain and mist from the ocean. The air was heavy with the earthy scent of damp soil.

The presence of those huge trees made me feel tiny in comparison.

The entire path was shaded by leaves and the canopy high above us beyond what we could see. It was strangely quiet. We whispered to each other like we were in a European Cathedral. Even my rambunctious 6-year-old was uncharacteristically quiet.

The power and presence of that forest has stuck with me. It felt like were magically transported to a fairy tale.

in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park - Oct. 2020

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• What is so compelling about being in nature and looking at the detail of the unpredictable natural world?

• Why does it calm us so deeply?

• How does it have the power to center us in our thoughts?

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I believe that God's perfect design includes complexity and imperfections so that we are amazed and inspired. When we have a sense of smallness, we feel the need to contribute to the beauty that is around us. We forget our own importance and see the way to a part of something bigger.

We have been designed for creating.

Generations before us spent time every evening looking at the sunset and staring at the stars. Unfortunately, this daily rhythm has been lost in our congested cities, light filled suburbs, and busy schedules. It is quite easy to go for weeks at a time without looking at the stars or seeing glimpses of a sunset.

The cure for this disconnection is to simply take a few moments to pause.

When we look up at the sky in awe and wonder we experience an expansiveness that makes us feel small. We can get a fresh perspective on our lives and let go of worries and concerns.

Watching dark cumulonimbus clouds roll across the horizon reminds me how little I can control. Going for a hike in the desert and seeing saguaro cacti that have been there for over 100 years grounds me in the truth that life keeps going. Seeing the majestic redwood forest puts my problems in check.[2]

We realize how big this world and this universe actually are. And how small our lives are in comparison to nature. It is a healthy check-in that I believe is an important part of our daily rhythms that has been forgotten.

We have lost that feeling of awe.

The good news is that it is easy to get that back. Just an afternoon spent in nature can be enough of a re-set. We do not need to travel to the coast or overseas to encounter the natural world. With a small bit of intention, we can notice what is happening around us.

I have learned that to connect with the natural world I must take some action. My busy day will fill up with all the things I “must” do that will keep me indoors and looking down.

So, once a week or more I choose to:

• take slow walks, soaking in nature's sights, sounds, and scents.

• journal my nature observations.

• use apps or guides to identify plants and animals.

• enjoy birdwatching and filling up my front porch bird feeders for the wild quail.

• take photos of memorable nature scenes (even if it just the neighbor’s flowers).

• look up – I love cloud-gazing, watching storms come in, and mapping out the stars.

There have been studies that have shown feeling awe quiets the inflammation response in our bodies. The Vagas nerve is responsible for regulating the body's stress response. It can be positively influenced by spending time in nature.

When we immerse ourselves in natural environments, such as forests or parks, the sights, sounds, and smells of nature can trigger a relaxation response in the body. There is a physical and emotional component to spending time in nature that we are just beginning to understand.

I do know that when my world is full of natural beauty, it feels bigger. I pay closer attention to the seasons and subtle changes in the world around me. The natural world reorders my perspective. It gives me a healthy view of what matters. It slows me down.

I am calmer and more collected. I am able to deal with the demands and stress of my very busy life. And I feel more connected to my Creator and myself.

I’m not planning on moving to a remote homestead in the middle of the woods.[3] And (sadly) we haven’t been back to the Redwood Forest for another trip. However, I can resist the demanding hum of toxic productivity and industrial demands.

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[1] Both quotes are from the Hidden Brain Podcast. Podcast Episode – Happiness 2.0: The Reset Button. (At 40min.) https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/happiness-2-0-the-reset-button/

[2] I enjoyed an audiobook that was an amazing example of this: The Nature Fix – Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, And More Creative by Florence Williams. It goes great with a long walk or folding laundry!

[3] Although some days that is very tempting… chickens, homemade bread, and a wood burning stove. That sounds lovely. Oh, and tons of bookshelves full of my favorites… okay, I got seriously sidetracked.

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