The problem with trying to fit in to society, you see, is that every part of the puzzle that does not fit you chips away at the edges of your very soul.
Then one day you wake up, frayed and afraid, because you don’t recognize who you are any more.
Nature has the power to awaken us. A memorable occasion for me was a midnight visit to an ocean beach when a big storm was imminent. The beach was brilliant under a magnificent full moon. Light clouds darted in the strong breeze, while frothing waves crashed wildly on the shore.
The beauty and power of the scene were intoxicating, and my soul was unleashed in a way I had not quite experienced before. As I walked on that beach, I felt the electric pulse of nature and the inherent freedom of my soul, what it means to be simply a human being on the Earth.
The untamed places never fail to have this same effect. They speak to my soul and I have come to understand this:
Our essence is freedom, and we must never let that go.
“Wildness is the preservation of the world.” (Henry David Thoreau)
An excerpt from my ebook 25 Big Ways to Grow Your Life. It’s free, and available only to subscribers. If you’d like a copy, please subscribe here.
Right, wrong, north, south, black, white, which way do I go?
I have walked the flat gray plane of existence that this 3rd dimension too often can be, futilely exploring the monotones of an oft desolate place, where each small blade of grass shivers sadly in the landscape, calling out to the sky.
And I have wondered – If white is all color, and black its absence, where are the colors between?
So I’ve left that plane and I’m climbing a shining mountain; I will not rest ’til I find all my colors, that grand view above a too narrow horizon. The trek is exhilarating, the views are breathtaking, and I’m heading for that brilliant peak yonder.
It’s the place of my dreams, where rainbows gleam and eagles soar, and my soul can live free.