When was the last time you truly observed nature?
Not just in passing.
But consciously.
A tree. A flower. The sea. The sky in the early morning.
The older I get, the more I feel that nature shows us something we sometimes forget in our hectic daily lives.
It is in no hurry.
A flower does not ask itself if it should bloom faster.
An olive tree does not compare itself to the tree next to it.
The sea does not apologize for its waves.
And the sun does not ask if it has accomplished enough today.
Nature simply exists.
Perhaps that is why it fascinates us so much.
Our lives often look very different.
We compare ourselves. We plan. We function. We want to be faster, better, and miss nothing if possible.
In doing so, we sometimes forget that we too are a part of this nature.
We also need peace.
Time.
Light.
Movement.
And sometimes simply a moment when no one expects anything from us.
An olive tree grows over many years. Wind, rain, and intense sun leave their marks on its trunk. And it is precisely these marks that make it so beautiful over time.
Why, then, do we humans sometimes find it so difficult to accept our own marks?
Nature also shows us that not every day has to be the same.
There are sunny days and grey ones.
There are times of growth and times of rest.
There are blossoms just opening, while others have already faded.
And yet, it all belongs together.
Perhaps we don't have to be equally strong, happy, or productive every day.
Perhaps we should allow ourselves more often to follow our own rhythm.
And perhaps we don't need a big change for that.
Sometimes it's enough to go outside.
To feel the wind on your face.
To look closely at a flower.
To walk barefoot on grass.
Or simply to sit under a tree for a moment and do nothing.
Nature demands nothing from us.
And yet it gives us so much.
Peace.
Strength.
Beauty.
And sometimes even an answer to a question we never voiced.
Perhaps that's why we shouldn't always try to bring nature into our everyday lives.
Perhaps we should move a little closer to it ourselves again.
Annemarie's Tip 🌿
Next time everything gets a bit too much, go outside for a few minutes. Leave your phone in your pocket and just look around. Perhaps you'll discover a tree, a flower, or a small ray of sunshine you might otherwise have overlooked.
Sometimes that's all it takes to reconnect with yourself for a moment.
