It’s an all-too-common conundrum.
How do we sum ourselves up in a succinct but meaningful statement? It’s something we try to do any time we meet someone new, and the hardest part is that important aspects of who we are always get left out.
I was at a networking event this past week for my design company, and of course, the thing people at something like that most want to know is what you do for a living. And that’s important, no question. But it doesn’t define who you are, and you could even say that it doesn’t tell anyone why they should be interested in doing business with you. There are thousands of landscape architects in this country. If that’s all that matters, there’s no good reason why anyone should call me instead of someone else on the state’s list of licensees.
Do you ever get tired of answering a question like “Tell me about yourself” with your job title? I know I do.
So what are things that get at a more interesting definition of who you are? To me, it’s things like what are you curious about? What makes you happy to get out of bed in the morning and approach the day with energy and vibrance? What would you spend your time on if you won the lottery and didn’t need to spend your time earning a paycheck?
There are tons of questions you can ask to start to get at the things that really impact who you are, and very few of them have much to do with your job, your age, or any of the standard list of facts we usually fall back on.
And yet, though I know all of this, how did I introduce myself at the networking event? “I’m a landscape architect.” Yep, that was the first sentence out of my mouth, but I did go further. I talked about why I’m a landscape architect, and what excites me about it, and how I try to help people and improve the world through my work.
Did I break the mold? Not exactly. I used the mold as a way into the subject and then took it further than usual.
I run into this kind of conundrum every week when I write about the benefits of connection with nature.
The leaf of every tree brings a message from the unseen world. Look, every falling leaf is a blessing - Rumi
Nature is so much more than something to mine for benefits. A true connection brings with it incalculable richness for our selves, our souls, our minds, and our bodies.
Breaking it down into a list of scientifically measured benefits seems almost comical.
So why do I talk about these lists of benefits?
We shouldn’t need to in an ideal world. We know intuitively that we feel better when we spend time in nature, that we belong there, that when we don’t spend time in nature, we become unmoored in innumerable ways. The trouble is, as a culture, we don’t put much stock in intuitive knowledge. If we want people to take things seriously, we have to attach concrete, clinically proven numbers to show that what we feel is really true.
Am I super interested in how high cortisol levels might be in someone who has been stuck inside for months? No, but I am very interested in the fact that getting outside and taking a walk in the woods will help that person reduce their stress, increase their immunity, improve their mental health, etc. Reducing their cortisol levels is one way that happens, and documenting it is how we prove it.
My hope is that we can all accept the proof so we can move past the need for scientific results and get back to the poetry of existing in, of, and with nature.
We are greater than the sum of our parts. And so is nature.
Nature through the senses
Scent:
Believe it or not, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of perfumes and candles that carry the scent of wood in one form or another. I don’t personally use any of them, but I can see why someone might. The scent of wood has been found to foster relaxation. So…cedar inserts for your drawers might just do more than repel moths!
Sight:
One way to celebrate the beauty of winter is to seek out plants that keep some structure during the winter, providing a framework to catch snow or frost. Plants like ornamental grasses can keep their seeds heads through the winter and create a delicate, moving, platform for enjoying our winter weather displays.
Sound:
Keeping up the trend of listening to the birds that are calling this time of year, this YouTube video has some of the bird calls that can be heard in winter. The chickadees are starting to speak up around here.
Taste:
Have you ever had a cup of pine needle tea? It’s a nice change from the more standard options, and offers lots of Vitamin C. As an added plus, the needles are easy to find this time of year. (As with all herbal teas, if you’re pregnant, check with a doctor before indulging.)
Touch:
This is a good time of year to prune trees and shrubs or take woody cuttings that are best propagated before leaf buds break. I took my elderberry cuttings last weekend and am looking forward to planting them out this summer!
