Clarity Dawns: Human Beings, Nature, and Becoming

Often, when I am inspired by nature, I also see the clarity of life beyond human existence. While people (including me) often seem to struggle, nature’s blooms and sunrises seem to happen effortlessly.

How could we human beings emulate these other lifeforms and natural processes? Don’t we have the potential to learn from these beauties?

Natural

It’s clear enough that nature can be very inspiring to human beings like me. Being outdoors can be one of the best ways to clear my mind and open up to alternatives I never would have considered otherwise. Something about forests, oceans, meadows, and streams that can blast into my creative spaces.

Beyond this, nature is a grand example to me (and can be to you). Flowers do not worry about if they will bloom. Birds do not wish for better homes. They either build a nest or fly on.

Humans, on the other hand, often overthink and over-plan our next step. Yet, there are many times we could “go with the flow” and reach even better results.

Variable

Recently, I was stung by a yellowjacket. Though the sting was painful, I immediately was drawn to the beauty of this insect. Unfortunately, it died when it delivered the stinger into my back.

Not all of nature is without its pains. Human beings have to be willing to accept the dirt and the bugs if we want to fully experience the beauty and inspiration of creation.

Clarity

Being stuck with technology — beeping, blinking pillars of modern society — can leave me very fuzzy. I can’t make decisions since the distractions vying for my attention are much too persistent.

On the other hand, nature has a kind of clarity. For example, in many regions of the world, the seasons (before human beings messed with the atmosphere too much) are a cycle of variable yet predictable shifts in temperature, precipitation, day-length, and vegetation.

Dawns

Another great example in nature is the start and end of the “day”. Perhaps extending from my deep attraction to clouds is how drawn I am to sunrises and sunsets. Even when the cloud cover hides the sun, the day starts at the same time and ends at the same time because the sun soars next to the horizon of human perception.

Dawn and dusk become beautiful metaphors for beginnings and endings. The sun rises: human beings start. The sun sets: human beings sleep.

Find your place where clarity dawns. Human beings need this and I am playing between the place of finding and losing this clarity.