Do you ever feel a pull to the water? A pull to feel the sun shining on your skin. A pull to listen to that amazing rainstorm. A pull to sit by that campfire out back on a warm summer night. A pull to feel and breath the fresh air outside as the birds chirp and the wind moves across your skin. Set aside all of the science and the fancy psychological mental benefits and what have you. It simply feels good to be outside. theres something in us that always wants more. were happier when we’re outside enough. heck, we lived outside before civilization actually became a thing.
and the tech age wants you to Alexa that, automatic this, wifi this, automate this, delivery groceries to your house, think for you, build a relationship with your that is only beneficial to you and yours wants and needs with no consideration to what others need, and make it so you don’t have to see 1 ray of sunshine, hear 1 bird chirp or even make your way to the lake where you can take a peaceful walk. because everything is encouraged to be quicker, faster and in turn lazier and less appreciative of the things humans were built upon. the devaluing of relationships with actual humans and the process of breathing and living in the moment without any fancy quick stimulation going on.
literally programming the brain to de value life’s simplicity and beauty.
be highly away or fall victim to the zombie tech age and become an actual robot with diminished mental health, loneliness like you never imagined and emptiness and raging anxiety before you go to bed.
think with the heart. get outside. appreciate what has been here for thousands of years. right in front of you. bright beautiful sun in the morning while you sip some coffee. a nice relaxing walk outside afterwork or at sunset time. dipping your toes into the water down by the lake and appreciating the nose the water splashing on the shore. listening to the wind as it blows the trees that you walk by. highly present and aware with all of your senses in the moment. the feeling of sand on your feet as you walk. the vibrant nature of the grass, flowers, and blue sky with the clouds all shaped uniquely different. Hoping on a bike, skateboard, rollerblades, or simply taking a walk at the park. in the valley. going for a hike and feeling the earth and getting closer to what has been rooted for thousands of years. getting onto a kayak and feeling the water below you. feeling the water with your hands.
this is how I grew up. simply understanding the value of being outside. the value of stepping away from technology. the value of appreciating life as it is in front of us without the construction and fancy gadgets and gizmos all attached to it. simply appreciating. not needing a stimulus change on tik tock every 15 seconds to get the high and joy out of every moment. being able to simply love being in a situation for 30 minutes and not needing things to change. strong attention span. patience. just breathing through moments and letting them calm our mind as we let nature do its work.
I dedicate lots of my appreciation for the outdoors to skateboarding. it was a way of transportation. but it was also a way to enjoy life without structure. a invaluable lesson. sometimes we have to enjoy moments without a complicated drawn out plan. sometimes we would cruise to friends houses, or the skatepark, or down to the water, or simply take a city wide trip on our decks and see what happened along the way with the interactions we had with people or the conversations we had as bros. invaluable. moments never forgotten.
bringing plants and trees into your home. leaving the window open so you can hear the birds. keeping a candle at your coffee table to remind you of a fire that you can have at nighttime and simply sit there in reflection and gratitude. watching the sunset (one of the most powerful outdoor experiences I can think of). simply sit there for the entire thing. 45 minutes worth. while it slowly sets. and watch the way in which it brings your mind at ease. the way in which it brings closure to your day. one of the most powerful things you can experience.
hope this is a bit motivating to bring some intention toward planning time to get into nature.
outside of the pure enjoyment, just watch the way in which it increases your mental health, your sense of joy and appreciation, your sense of calm, and overall programming the beauty of simplicity into your mind. living in the moment and realizing how beautiful life is without all the extras.
give it a try a bit more frequently. I love getting morning sunlight. quite possibly one of the best things we can do as humans. watch the way in which it fills you up, helps with your sleep, and just elevates your mood.
all thoughts here. good things.
get outside.
THE_HUMAN_EXPERIMENT1993 