That familiar feeling of confusion with a lack of clarity, had crept in. This feeling was all to familiar, yet it was also something I had overcome before.
But how?
What was it that brought the clarity back?
As I reflected on this question from inside of myself the answer came forward “Go to the woods”.
Instantly, I was brought to the present moment with a choice. I could stay inside of the house, inside of my mind and inside of this state of being, or, I could get outside and put myself into the immersive embrace of the natural world.
So I took off. Had a glass of water and I was out the door. Up the hill, then onto the abandoned road that went into the forest. As I walked, the presence with my surroundings brought me into the awareness of how much gratitude I had for this place I call home.
It is not where I grew up.
It is not where I have lived a long time.
It is not where my family and friends are from.
IT IS where I am NOW.
That is my home.
This planet Earth is the home to all of us.
As this gratitude grew I stopped walking. I looked around at the trees, the bushes, the fog, the animal and birds and I began to sing. A simple song of gratitude.
One time through, two times through and so forth sending out my voice to the 7 directions and to all beings. Letting them know in this moment, “I appreciate you, I see you, I acknowledge you, you are all my relatives”.
When I finished, my attention was brought to the tall tree a short distance away. It was a tree that was no longer alive. Grey and bleached from the equatorial sun. The branches and leaves were long gone, with only the trunk left standing. It stood tall and strong above the canopy, with a hole in one side that appeared to be the home of a woodpecker family.
The lines of the grain were clear since all of the bark had fallen off already. These lines spiraled all the way around the trunk, revealing that this being had grown in an ever twisting circle never remaining facing the same direction.
What was this tree showing me?
Could it be that my attention was brought there for a reason?…
Yes, it most definitely was. Almost immediately the notion came through of a 360 degree perspective. Being able to see many viewpoints. The wisdom that comes from perceiving through various lenses.
This related to me.
In what ways was I needing to look around more?
In what way could I shift my perspective to learn something?
Could including another perspective bring about the clarity that I had began my walk hoping to reclaim?
Then something happened.
An idea popped up that was related to something I hadn’t even been thinking about that day. It was a creative solution / idea that presented itself in the form of a story in my minds eye. As I watched the idea unfolded as if a preview of a potential future, if I were to assist in its manifestation.
This idea got my gears turning about what it is that I am truly passionate about, getting our youth out into nature and supporting the development of their relationships with the natural world.
I found myself, clear, alive, empowered and even more grateful for the communication and teaching I had received. The walk back to the house was light and energetic.
I was back to myself and thankful for the time spent with my relatives.
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