Nature's Signals

“Sustainability is rooted in looking to the inherent workings of nature as a model, with the idea that the natural systems of the world do work in balance to perpetuate life, and by working in harmony with those natural systems, we can sustain our own lives.” —Debra Dadd-Redalia in “Sustaining the Earth.”

It is a constant challenge to manage the noise in my turbulent brain, to discern which thoughts, tales, beliefs, and habits accumulated over a lifetime belittle and sabotage my very being, and choose carefully which ones serve this wondrous state of grace called my life. Today I asked, “How can I sustain a more empowering state of mind; what holds me up?”

Sustain and sustainable come from the Latin root sustinere: “to hold up, support, endure.” Nature, more often than not, is my support, what enables me to endure and move beyond the frozen times brought on by my own thoughts. Since I am a part of the natural world and am surrounded by it, I am constantly re-remembering to pay attention to the subtle and blatant signs all around me.

Yes, the amazing human ability to use our intellect is a unique gift, though all too often it separates me from the very connection and clarity I’m seeking. No bird questions its song, or the wind its direction.