Maintaining Perspective in a Chaotic World

As modern human beings, we have prided ourselves in creating a world apart from our long-standing roots in the natural. However, the human spirit of progress and development has led to a ungrounded culture of over-pressure and burnouts. In a world of movement focused on achievement it is easy to get lost in the tides of societal pressure.

How can one remain immersed in this world without facing the seemingly inevitable fate of being worn away? I find that the best insights for maintaining one's self are made known in the natural world that we proudly turned turned our backs on long ago.

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First and foremost, remember to breathe.

Breath is the most innate and personal relationship of give and take we are blessed to have with the natural. In the human world, it is easy to neglect the importance of breath while being confined in tight spaces. A good first step in regaining a healthy perspective is to get away from the city and into nature. Then, simply breathe.

Other means of maintaining perspective to be learned from nature may be subtler. Since discovery is essential to human nature, it is always best to seek these lessons yourself. Fortunately, these subtler truths can be found with two simple steps, immerse yourself in nature and observe.

While the world may not reveal its deepest metaphysical secrets, here are some simple moments observed in nature that I found to speak to our current human condition.

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Despite the constant torrent of crashing waves, a starfish remains fixed upon a rock

Regardless of the constant barrage of the ocean on the starfish, it remains in its steadfast grip on the rock. No amount of ocean tides, day or night, are able to tear the starfish away from where it lay. The starfish, in its own way, has become immune to the effects of the ocean.

In the same way, when strongly grounded in one's sense of self, no amount of force from the external world can be enough to tear us away from our goals. Only when we are not grounded in ourselves do we get swept away in the currents of our modern world.

How do you ground yourself in a world that seeks to uproot you?

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The most beautifully shaped rocks have been worn the longest.

Often times, the most astonishing rock formations you come across are those that have dealt with the most wear and tear. Be it wind, water, or any element nature throws their way, these rocks must persevere under destructive forces to become what they are today.

We, in times of tribulation, often become the greatest versions of ourselves. Human determination is what allows us to rise above challenges no matter the size or severity.

Remember that you are not being broken by the pressures of the world, you are being shaped.

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Plants only grow where sunlight and water fall.

Plants are opportunistic, growing in whatever situation they are able. However, no amount of opportunism can replace the need for sunlight and water that are pertinent to a plant's life processes and survival.

No matter the depths of desire one may have to consistently study or work, we cannot continue healthily without taking time to consider and fulfill our own needs.

Be they physical, emotional, social, etc., are you acknowledging and taking the time to pursue your own needs before you extend yourself outwards in the busy world?

This list is by no means exhaustive and it can often be difficult to recognize certain lessons the natural world has to offer. When this is the case, do not fret. Know that answers are always revealed to those who seek. In the mean time relax and do what is always available for you to do in this moment:

Simply breathe.