For most of us, life is busy.
Our mental to-do lists are hundreds, if not thousands, of items long. We have obligations coming from every corner of life: work, home, relationships, family, basic self-care. There are dentist appointments to make and finances to figure out, hinges to fix and dinners to prepare.
Sometimes life can feel crowded with good things too. You might be excited about a project and want to give it your all. Or maybe you’re investing a lot of time in an important relationship.
All this busy-ness can make you feel like you just don’t have time for elective activities. Going on a hike, spending time outdoors, seeing new and beautiful places: these things take time that we don’t seem to have.
In our minds, we imagine that the bustle of life will die down at some point in the future. After “I’m finished with this project…” or “When the kids get a little bigger.” But as soon as the sun sets on one period of intense action, it rises on another. There are always countless obligations to fill our time. When we pass through one overgrown part of life’s path, another densely thicketed trail greets us. Life is not a desert, but a deep forest.
To break free from all of this busy-ness, we need to make time. We need to make time to get outdoors, experience nature, and to fit other soul feeding activities into our lives. Scheduling a morning (or afternoon) hike into an otherwise crowded calendar can change your entire week. Especially if you go with a friend. And even better if you see something beautiful that inspires you.
Life will never be less busy. But if you include excursions into nature in your life, it can certainly feel more relaxed. When we’re out in the wild, we slow our internal pace to match our surroundings. We breathe deeply, taking the time to notice trees blowing in the wind and the air on our skin.
And we may find that things suddenly feel less hectic.
When life is busy, we have the ability make it feel less so. When you look at it this way, how can we not make time to incorporate the freedom of spirit that nature brings into our lives?
