Welcome to Day 9 of the 21-Day Nature Challenge!
Do ever feel like there’s just not enough time to get everything done?
Guess what? There isn’t.
It is a sad fact that here in the age of high-tech convenience where we can have pretty much anything we want on demand, the feeling that life is supposed to constantly be busy and rush by in a blur is a normal thing; not healthy, just standard living these days. And no one really seems to notice, or care. Or at least we don’t believe we have the time to do anything about it.
We’ve said it before, but here at Mountain Zen Den it’s not about spending time in nature for the sake of being more mindful just to be mindful. (Although that’s not necessarily a bad thing.) It’s really about creating and designing the lifestyle that you desire and know you were meant to live.
When we are always madly rushing from one task to the next, one appointment to another, one soccer game, one project deadline, one birthday party or funeral, without a sense of purpose, place and groundedness, we lose our way, become frustrated, sad, lonely, empty and lost. Our internal sense of purpose and place in eternity is being denied.
We basically forget how to live; or why we’re alive in the first place. We are not cattle raised in a pen, waiting to be slaughtered for beef before ever having lived a real life. That is no way to live my friend. And it shouldn’t be normal. It’s not how we were created to be and deep inside you know it’s true.
So what is the answer?
It’s in slowing down enough to take the time to listen deeply, and with intention to the still, small voice deep within, that we begin to find and truly understand how it is that we are supposed to live. Mindfulness is the vehicle to help us get there.
Slowing down doesn’t mean becoming less productive. It’s much the opposite. When we slow down with purpose and intention there is a lot less “doing”, and a lot more “accomplishing”.
When we decide to choose to become mindful we begin to allow life, and our thoughts to unfold life a delicate flower, or to grow like a seed planted in fertile soil.
Whatever you’re doing right at this moment, I want you to stop, take a deep breath and just look around you. What do you see? What do you feel? What do you know deep in your heart? Is there a sense of peace? Or anxiety? Joy? Or fear?
Take another slow deep breath… Ask yourself, “What can I do today to slow down enough to live the life I know I was meant to live? How can I design my life to be productive without killing a little part of myself every day?”
Immediately the thought arises, “But that’s not realistic! I have so many responsibilities with so much to do!!” What’s not realistic, is thinking we can keep up a crazy, mindless, frenetic pace without losing something near and dear to us – our true life, relationships and our very souls.
If you are living a life full of purpose, at a pace that is slow enough to appreciate and enjoy, you are in rare company these days. I don’t know about other countries but it’s a well-known fact that the average American is overworked and overstressed. Road rage, school and workplace shootings and mindless acts of stupidity can be found in the news every day. These are all indications of a society that has lost its connection with true meaning and purpose, with a better way of mindful living.
The good news is that the cure is right outside your front door.
Not only does spending time in Nature and her seasons give one a richer experience, with a sense of truly being alive, but it also enhances our sense of time and place in the Universe. Because things in the natural world occur and unfold in an organic, unhurried rhythm, when we align ourselves with Nature, we are able to find our place again. This seemingly minor adjustment can make a world of difference in our lives. But it must first be an intentional, mindful decision.
To slow down and truly enjoy a well-lived life is a beautiful art, just like poetry, music, training bonsai trees and dancing. Today, in everything you do, decide you will slow down, enjoy it, and do it with purpose and intention.
Checklist for Day 9
☐ MEDITATION: “Practicing the Art of Slowing Down”
☐ NATURE WALK: Before stepping outside today, do everything mindfully, with purpose and meaning. Make your tea or coffee, breakfast and lunch in a thoughtful and grateful manner. Put on your shoes with mindfulness and intention, etc. Step outside, take a deep breath, and just pause for a moment, being alert, awake, aware and alive – grateful for the opportunity to live this day. Now go spend the best 20 minutes of your life outdoors that you have ever had!
☐ JOURNAL: Write about your experience and anything you are grateful for.
For more natural goodness Listen on iTunes > Subscribe in iTunes