the power of nature

For this week’s Choose Beauty Linkup, I was able to convince my best friend Liz to write an article for Tide & Bloom. I am extremely grateful to have someone like her on my side; she’s been a steady force in my life since high school, always supporting and loving me through all my crazy periods of growth. It’s no surprise to me, or anyone else that knows her, that she turned to therapy as her career path – making it her life’s goal to help others. I’ve been begging her to write something for me because she has too many great things to share and I knew this series would be something right up her alley.

When I began this entry, I did not know exactly what I wanted to say or where it was going to end up. I knew I wanted to focus on the power of nature, as I have been using it as a personal self-care strategy in my life. Christina and I had discussed the idea of me guest-blogging many times before, but I have a lot going on in my life right now having just moved to a new city and began a new career. In the midst of that, she still wanted and believed that I had something to offer in writing a column. I felt many doubts run through my mind… “I can’t do that, I am too busy,” or “Ugh, what do I have to offer to anyone anyway?” The irony of that last statement is that I am a therapist, a mental health counselor who helps people for a living.

Some may wonder, what is it like to be a therapist, to deal with people’s problems all day? It is true that in my professional life I deal with the entire spectrum of human emotions. I see people at the lowest of their lows, as well as hear about truly horrific events and situations they have experienced. It is crucial that I have ways to protect myself in order to have an escape from all that trauma, hurt, sorrow, abandonment. One of my current rituals is taking time at lunch to step back and be with nature. I work in an office with no windows so by lunch time, I am craving the sunshine and open spaces. I am fortunate to have beautiful outside spaces surrounding me. Although I do not claim to be an outdoorsy person, the research, along with my own experience, shows how powerful communing with nature can be. Within minutes of being outside in the open air, I feel a shift in my being. The tension in my body produced by a client’s story gently relaxes in the calm of the green grass and gentle trees. So naturally, the nature soothes my soul, reminds me that all is OK, and that there is beauty among all the darkness I witness and hear. I ask myself often, how and why did we make life so complicated? What happened to just laying underneath a tree, and that being enough? What happened to listening to the whispers of the wind and watching a butterfly land from flower to flower?  Sometimes I feel like we get so very lost in this material world with these material things, that we think this is all there is. I often have to remind myself to engage in rejuvenating entities- to take the time to be outside, do yoga, dance, or talk to a dear friend. This is what realigns my being with my true self.

In line with the theme of this blog, I believe our true self is attracted to the light, to the beauty, and is not afraid to embrace love and laughter. Our anger, our pain, our sadness is not who we are inside. We are beautiful, magical, and powerful beyond belief. As a therapist, this is what I pride myself on – the ability to see beauty in what others have deemed ugly or unworthy. I take this opportunity in the blogosphere to remind you to go toward what is beautiful in your life, what makes you passionate, feel creative and energized. You may remember today and forget tomorrow. That’s OK. Each day, each minute, try again to be one with your authentic self. Whatever that may be, whatever you are going through – even if just for a minute – seek your bliss.

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