“Nature always rebels and seeks its own expression. When we deny nature, it rebounds with compensatory dreams, symptoms, lapses, even somatic disorders.” (James Hollis, PhD)
It’s impossible to realize how noisy the world is around us until we finally find ourselves immersed in the solitude and quiet of Nature.
Once again, I am farm-sitting on Quadra Island, and, as I unpacked my truck, I couldn’t help but to be mesmerized by the absolute stillness. What a sanctuary of peace! In contrast, I can only imagine the influence the city noise regularly has on my consciousness… with the people, automobiles, radio waves, billboards, concrete buildings, paved streets and sidewalks all blocking out the call of Nature and my own inner voice. I didn’t even know how much I had longed for this moment of stillness until I was in it!
Inside the beautiful log house where I am staying, the only sounds I am aware of are the expansion of the wood stove and the movement of the house logs as each respond to the heat of the fire. These very subtle disruptions backdrop the bold visuals I take in as I gaze out the window at the panoramic views. I appreciate the fresh green of spring maple and alder leaves contrasted against the darker conifers. I wonder at the ocean and skyline’s many shades of blue and grey - from fluffy clouds and bright skies, to smooth waters, speckled with dark ripples from gusts of wind.
When I am outside, I hear the gentle lap of the ocean against the rocky shore; its soft rippling sound leaving lots of space for my mind to fill in the blanks. This is my soul place… the wilderness… a place to discover a peace within.
We aren’t separate from Nature. There isn’t a binary of humanity and Nature. We are a part of this wild majesty. When we allow ourselves to be in the rhythm of Nature’s music and beauty, we experience a profound connection, a deep wisdom… a calling that is unique to each and every one of us. We all play a part in this dance of Life, and we each have a divine personal pursuit that is luring us forward into exploring each day, with the understanding that this is the first day of the rest of our lives.
While on Quadra Island, I have been venturing into the world of George Orwell’s novel, 1984. I find it to be in horrific contrast to the peace I described, above. The story depicts the dark power of hypnosis… brainwashing. I see our getting caught up in the “noise” of life as the ‘hypnosis’, because it separates us from our inner voices, our connection to an Infinite Wisdom, and from our natural selves.
For instance, I’ve always had an aversion to commercials and ‘media’, whether via TV or the radio, because I notice the effect advertising has on my own impulses. One example is that I know ‘clothes are clothes’, yet I will still argue, due to my conditioning, that some clothes are ‘better’ than others. This just isn’t true, I wonder what would happen if we all stopped shopping at retail outlets for ‘new’ items, and turned instead to thrift shops, simply reusing that which is already in circulation?
Never doubt the power of your own words and actions. People are creative beings. Making clear decisions about the world in which we want to live, then holding fast to that vision is an opportunity that is open to us. Instead, however, so many of us allow ourselves to become overwhelmed and over-entertained by the distractions of a life outside of the call of Nature. Living that way is depleting and ‘hypnotic’.
I invite you to take a moment each day to explore the silence, to converse with Nature and step onto your own true path. Know that it is impossible for you to not make a difference.
This September, I am going on a pilgrimage with my spirit daughter. We will be walking the Camino Primitivo, the original mountain Camino de Santiago. The two of us share a deep bond around the sense of awe we have for Life. As we expand to recognize a larger view of reality, we rejoice in the wonder and possibilities that open to us. We are driven by a mutual desire to help individuals unravel the profound mysteries that reside within their innermost selves.
Walking the Camino is a practice that many spiritual traditions hold as a physical journey of faith. For us, this trip will be a pilgrimage in Awe that we will take by foot, many kilometres each day, through the Spanish mountains. This opportunity has been known to create space for deepening into the wisdom of one’s inner voice; cultivating a more profound connection to ‘Life all around’… and we are going to share each day with you… bringing you deeply along with us.
There are so many wellness practices and self-help books out there to choose from, and they are all great, in their own ways. I believe that what makes any one of them truly powerful, though, is one’s own foundation of a faith in something bigger than ourselves. It doesn’t matter to me what you believe… it matters that you do believein something. Our journey on foot for 14 days, over hundreds of kilometres, is going to provide an opportunity for us to share with you the wisdom we have gleaned from our sacred path in contemplation of what we believe.
I will walk the Camino knowing there is a larger life to be lived. I will walk in service to a Force greater than I am. I will walk towards a deeper sense of myself. I will walk… and I will share each day with you.
PS - Stay tuned for our YouTube journey this September.
UNLESS YOUR CAMPAIGN HAS A BIG IDEA,
IT WILL PASS LIKE A SHIP IN THE NIGHT.
David Ogilvy
PLANT the SEED - go this link: https://youtu.be/OiYpYzAXJN8
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