‘Happier’ With Dave Flynn

‘Happier’

We Are Nature

July 19, 2024

I remember so many times in Spring of 2020, during covid lockdowns, standing barefoot on the stony shoreline of the cove in Greystones, waves lapping at my feet, as I watched the sun rise above the horizon against a pink sky. The air was thick with the scent of salt and damp earth, and I could feel the potential in the day rising and the pulse of the tides resonating within my own body. In that moment, the boundaries between myself and the natural world seemed to dissolve, leaving me in a state of deep connection and awe.

We are Nature

At our core, you and I are not separate from nature – we are nature. The truth is, the natural world is not something “out there” that we observe and admire. It is something that flows through us, courses through our veins, and makes up the very fabric of our being.

Consider that one of the most complex ecosystems on the planet resides within your own gut – it hosts billions of microbes, a diverse community that is in constant dialogue with the rest of your body. This inner wilderness is just as much a part of the natural world as the forests, oceans, and skies outside your doors. The cycles and rhythms that sustain all life on this planet also animate the life within us, ebbing and flowing in perfect harmony and synchronicity.

Yet in our modern culture, I find that we’ve grown increasingly disconnected from this fundamental truth. We might have fallen into the trap of seeing ourselves as separate from nature, as somehow superior to or independent from the natural order. This has fueled a mindset of scarcity, where we grasp and hoard rather than allowing the regenerative abundance of the natural world to nourish us.

By reconnecting to the nature that ‘lives inside each of us’, we can begin to dissolve this artificial separation. We can attune ourselves to the cyclical patterns of growth and rest, expansion and contraction, that animate all living things. In doing so, we may find that our own lives become a seamless extension of the natural world – no longer at odds with it, but deeply connected as an integral, harmonious part of the great web of life.

This is the invitation before us: to remember that we are nature, and that the abundance and balance we seek is not something foreign, but a profound truth written into the very fabric of our being. When we live in alignment with this reality, we unlock a wellspring of vitality, creativity, and connection that can nourish us and the earth we call home.

Retuning to Nature’s Rhythms: What We Can Learn from the Cycles of the Natural World

In our fast-paced, technology-driven, concrete based modern life, it’s easy to lose touch with the natural rhythms that have guided life on this planet for millennia. Yet, by reconnecting with these cycles, we may unlock greater balance and harmony.

In nature, we witness the universal dance of day and night, the waxing and waning of the moon, the changing of the seasons. It is easy to forget these natural cycles yet they offer the opportunity to become profound teachers, if we choose to attune ourselves to their wisdom.

Consider the cycle of the seasons. In spring, the earth awakens with new growth and vitality. Summer brings a flourishing abundance, followed by autumn’s shedding and winter’s necessary rest and regeneration. This annual cycle mirrors the ebbs and flows we experience within ourselves.

As an identical twin who has always been driven and goal-oriented, learning to embrace the natural cycles of rest and renewal has been an ongoing practice for me. There have been countless times when I have pushed myself relentlessly, ignoring my body’s signals for a needed break. It has only been as I’ve gotten older and become more aware that maybe my deep seated need for productivity is likely rooted in an insecurity that I better understand the importance of allowing myself to ebb and flow like the tides. Just like night proceeds day, I need to prioritise rest, reflection in order to renew after demanding periods of focus and productivity.

By endeavouring to live more harmoniously with the cycles of nature, you will likely find that your stress levels decline, your creativity flourishes, and your sense of connection to the natural world, and to yourself, deepens. By returning to nature’s rhythms, we can rediscover the inherent balance and connection that has sustained life on this planet for Eons.

Abundance vs Scarcity

When I look to the natural world, I am met with an abundance that stands in stark contrast to the scarcity mindset so prevalent in modern human culture. The cycles of nature exemplify a generative, replenishing flow, rather than the linear, finite capitalist systems we have all grown accustomed to.

As I observe the seasons change each year, I’m struck by nature’s effortless cycles of renewal, of expansion and contraction. In spring, I witness the world springing forth with vibrant new life, blossoming into the lush abundance of summer. Even as autumn brings a shedding of leaves, the trees do not cling desperately to their resources. Instead, they gracefully let go, trusting in the replenishing rest of winter to revitalise them for the next cycle of growth. This pattern of expansion and contraction, of giving and receiving, sustains the natural world in a state of perpetual regeneration that I find profoundly inspiring.

In comparison, in our human society and culture we often operate from a mindset of scarcity, hoarding resources and guarding against perceived lack. Most of us have been conditioned to see the world as a zero-sum game, where one person’s gain must come at the expense of another. This mindset fuels competition, anxiety, much stress and the persistent illusion that there is never enough. Yet the abundance of nature reminds me that this is a construction of our own making, a man made creation, the universe from what I can see operates based on principles of complete abundance generously sharing resources without a sign of withholding.

I am inspired by the rhythms and generosity of the natural world. I believe there is much to learn about shedding the deep rooted scarcity mindset of modern culture. Leaning more open heartedly into giving and receiving and learning to not cling on to our money and materials so tightly. This likely sounds very idealistic but I believe we can learn to trust in the replenishing cycles that sustain all life, and find freedom in the knowledge that abundance is our natural birthright, not scarcity. In doing so, we open ourselves up to a more harmonious, fulfilling way of living with a much deeper connection to the earth and the natural world and creatures upon it. .

The natural world has touched me in so many ways, it connects me to myself in so many profound ways on a daily basis whether via my morning sunrise sea swims, running through the woods or working on our regenerative farm and learning more about how we can grow tasty nutritious food in the most harmonious way with nature.

Thanks for reading this weeks ‘Happier’ column. I really appreciate it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and as always thanks to those who have left comments on previous articles, I really appreciate your input.