Photo by Don Pierce
One of the deepest paths to wisdom is understanding impermanence—the insight that nothing has a fixed, independent existence. The qualities we see in things aren’t inherent but arise through our perception. Recognizing this truth reduces suffering and nurtures humility, especially by dissolving the false idea that we are separate from the world around us. When you see yourself as part of a greater whole, pride softens and compassion grows.
Water is a perfect teacher of impermanence—always flowing, changing, never the same. As you engage with the next activity, keep water’s fleeting nature in mind.
HumaNatureConnect Activity
If today isn’t for unstructured nature time, try this guided practice:
Read the Text: Engage your literary, mental, and reasoning senses to explore happiness and sustainability. Use all your natural senses while spending meaningful, enjoyable time outdoors on your way to Gladandgreen Junction.
Find an Attractive Natural Being: With pen and journal in hand, visit a natural area and choose a natural being that draws your attention.
Appreciate and Give Thanks: As you admire your chosen being, breathe in appreciation and exhale gratitude.
Consent: If you find yourself continuously attracted to an aspect of nature for at least ten seconds, consider this your consent to form a connection that supports your optimal functioning.
Engage Your Natural Senses: Use at least one radiation sense, one feeling sense, one chemical sense, and one mental sense to deepen and diversify your perception.
Activity: Be moved by water. You might think of tubing a lazy river at a water park (a perverse interaction) or floating on a raft in a residential lake (a domestic interaction). Instead, choose to ride a big wave on a surfboard (a wild interaction) for a positive psychological effect.
Nocturnal Pilgrimage
In your journal, write about the meaning, joy, and bond this wild interaction creates between your mind and nature. Reflect on how this wild interaction is better than the perverse or domestic versions. Consider how it would feel to be denied this wild experience. Write about how interacting with your attractive natural being influences your feelings. Imagine how it would feel to have this interaction without your natural being present.
Writing these reflections adds to our collective nature language, vital for rekindling human-nature bonds. Review your impressions before sleep and carry them into your dreams.
