Birds chirping. Wind gently stirring in the trees. Rich green everywhere I look. This is the nature walk I frequently enjoy along a creek that runs by our house. When I walk far enough down the road into a secluded section, the path becomes more wooded with trees lining both sides of the road.
When I used to walk, I’d often take my iPhone with me to listen to books while I walk. This made my walk for exercise pass more quickly. I felt more productive since I could absorb wisdom and knowledge from the books at the same time on my walk.
However, recently, I’ve been taking time to enjoy the quiet as I take in the sights and sounds of nature when walking. Listening to the birds chirping, the wind in the trees, noticing the various shades of green in the trees has brought me a new level of wisdom, the sense of connectedness with nature.
Sometimes being rich is associated with monetary wealth. As I’m more intentional about enjoying nature, I find the discovery of a different wealth. Now when I leave the iPhone at home with the entertainment or knowledge it holds, I find a different kind of entertainment and knowledge as I listen to nature.
Children show me the way to this enjoyment. No matter how many times I take my grandsons on this walk, they’re always eager to go and endlessly discover new and different things each time. They don’t need electronic devices to keep them curious and entertained. Nature provides this for them.
When I follow their lead, I rediscover the adventurous child within and find a satisfaction and wholeness I’ve missed. Stress melts away and peace takes its place. I find fun
surprises too.
Today my heart leapt for joy when I happened on some wildflowers I hadn’t noticed before. A fun surprise I would have missed if I had earplugs in and been engrossed in a book.
I will still listen to books at times, but right now I’m enjoying my new wealth of wisdom and knowledge. When I turn off the electronic devices, nature unveils a quiet beauty, I’m no longer willing to ignore.
How about you? Have you discovered the wealth of nature? Do you know how to disconnect from technology and enjoy the quiet sounds of nature?
If not, try it. You might feel strange at first, however look at how it can benefit you. After you’re done with this post, read here and learn about the 5 benefits of quietness. You may take a while to get used to nature’s peacefulness, but if you persist, you’ll find some new riches and perspective in life. Additionally, nature is one of the best stress relief and stress management strategies you’ll find.
Research shows that being in nature reduces the production of stress hormones. You can read more about physical and emotional benefits of nature by doing research on the subject.
Share with us in the comments about how you enjoy nature.
Enjoy nature today!