It was the moment the lake came into view. Its haunting ripples called to me and the cold wind caressed my face. I felt so refreshed, loved, and grateful. I’ll never forget that moment at Yosemite Park — it touched my soul indelibly. Many years have passed, yet the Truth of that experience continues to challenge my expression.
Now I’m a psychiatrist and people often come to me thinking I’m to give them what they want out of life. In a similar way, others have searched the ends of the world for happiness, health, love and riches. Remember the story about the man who combed the world for riches only to find the treasure was in his own backyard? Please consider that the very thing you are looking for in life right now, the thing that has been most evading you, is right in front of your nose. When native cultures worship Nature, perhaps they know something that we have forgotten. We, civilized creatures, have forsaken our roots in Nature.
What’s great about Nature is that we can’t escape it. It’s everywhere…it’s everywhere. We use it daily, yet seldom acknowledge it. Whether for commercial industry or weekend pleasure, we were never taught how to respect Nature and how to get to know it. We dine elegantly, but forget that what we consume are morsels from Nature. A long-awaited vacation out in Nature rejuvenates us, but more remains untapped. We have faith in God, faith in ourselves, but why not faith in Nature?
The Chinese term for nature means “of itself so”; the Latin derivative for “nature” is “nasci” or “to be born”. Nature is what is; it is so. Whatever is created or whatever is out there is Nature because it is born. Everyone and everything is from Nature. We could say that things are manmade, but man is from Nature and so what comes from man should be considered natural. Some people might claim that pollution, war, disease, skyscrapers, or birth control are unnatural. Of course, you can define what is natural by any criteria you choose. I say that everything in life is natural, but to different degrees. Some things are closer to the feeling of Nature and some are more distant. If everything out there is Nature, why are we not taking Nature into more consideration?
Let’s make amends for our neglect of Nature by taking moments to appreciate it. It’s time we start thinking of Nature. We don’t have to stop thinking of other things, but please consider giving Nature its due respect. This should not be difficult because we can all relate to Nature. Nature is concrete. You can be in it, see it, touch, taste, and smell it. Enjoy it and give thanks.