I have had the question put to me, What One Thing should I do if I want to help the earth? What One Thing will make a difference?
I believe the One Thing is this: Get Outside. You don’t have to go to a park, or do any hiking, or anything like that. Just Go Outside. Sit. Marvel. Wonder. Take some time to do nothing but look around and soak it all in.
The key is time. At first you will be fidgety. You will think of better ways you could be spending your time. You will worry. You will not be able to shut your brain off. Think of this as a withdrawal period. Work through it. Give yourself time.
Relax. Really see. Listen. Feel. The world is wonderful. Think about how miraculous it all is. All of it.
Life is infinitely complex. The world around us is infinitely complex. Being a part of it, savoring it, is incredibly simple. I think this one action can change your whole perspective. I think it is the most powerful first action we can take.
But we need to make time for it.
“…not time subtracted from my life, but so much over and above my usual allowance.”
-Henry David Thoreau
My plan for tomorrow is to do something I vividly remember doing as a kid- finding a creek and tossing stones in it. For hours. That’s my big Saturday. I’m really looking forward to it.
Leave a Reply