How about starting out the new year with a resolution that you may actually keep for longer than a week – and enjoy. Here goes – resolve to pause a minute each day to pay attention to nature around you. One minute, that is it! And if you think that is too short a time, try it and you will realize just how much you can see and hear in 60 seconds.
We spend much of our day rushing through the list of to dos that trying to squeeze anything else in the schedule seems crazy. Not so, if we only take a minute at a time. To make it a habit, choose the one time of the day when you can pause for those 60 seconds and commit to a daily routine. Grab that first cup of coffee, step out onto the porch, and sip, watch and listen.
If you do, something will certainly catch your attention, even if it is as simple as watching a leaf fall to the ground or a bird singing in the trees. That minute may well stretch into two or more as you begin to notice the many elements of nature set before you. That time focused on nature may be the opportunity to set your mood for the coming day or calm yourself after a long day. A mid-day minute in nature may also have value.
I was inspired to share this idea based on a question I was asked in a youth-based videography camp focused on nature that I participated in this week. The question was this – What theme of nature would I choose to share in a minute-long video? Well, that is as open a question as any, but it didn’t take me long to suggest the “minute of nature” idea. Much of what I write about in this forum and others is just that – pay attention and nature will become obvious, even if only in small doses.
My evil plan in suggesting this to you, time and again, and perhaps in a minute-long video, is that it will hopefully make you better aware of your natural surroundings. Only then can you understand the challenges that we face in trying to live harmoniously with nature, appreciate how connected we are to the natural world, and appreciate nature’s value to the quality of our lives.
I can talk my head off about how Live Oaks are important green elements of our landscapes and how we need to give them room to grow and thrive. But if you happen to spend a minute under one a few times, their beauty and value will help connect you to how we should treat them in our world. So, this is my one-minute message, arranged as any storyteller would, about paying attention to nature.
“Most of us do not take the time to pay attention to nature around us. Plants and animals are important elements of our world, but we do not always realize how our activities have negative impacts on their lives. Our challenge is to try and learn more about the natural world we share. Taking a minute or two each day to simply observe and contemplate nature is a great first step. That brief activity can grow and become a doorway to learning more and finding ways to become better stewards of our environment.”
Hope to see you in our great outdoors!