What do we care about, and how do we show it?
When you look at your life, what do you spend the most time on? Is it the same thing that gets most of your attention? Or most of your money?
If you could identify the one or two things you devote most of your time, money, and attention to, would they also be the things that mean the most to you?
I’m going to guess the answer to that is no.
Why do I say that? Because for most people, the thing that gets most of their time is probably their job. Not because it’s the thing that they are most devoted to, but because devoting that time is a practical necessity to keep the bills paid.
As for money, for most people, the thing that gets most of it is probably their home, or in more general terms the basic necessities for life (shelter, food, etc.).
All of those things are required for survival, so let’s reframe the question.
Assuming that we all have to spend time on our job and money on the necessities, let’s look at how we spend what’s left. The time, money, and attention we have left over for ourselves. What do you spend most of them on?
Is it the things that mean the most to you?
I’m guessing – and hoping – that it does work out that way, at least in general terms.
Most of us probably spend more time than we would like on things that don’t matter much to us, and if we thought about it, we could cut some of that out.
My goal, and my challenge for you, is to be more intentional with my time and resources, spending them on the things I care most about.
Of course, for me that includes my family, and it also includes devoting time each day to spend in nature. That may include a walk in the woods, or taking care of my garden, or visiting a natural space on my travels.
And it also means spending more time growing this community.
I know I’m not the only one who wants to live in a world where nature is valued and people focus more on connection then on looking at their phones.
So I’m setting myself a challenge, and asking you to help me achieve it: getting the word out to build this community and work toward finding us all the balance and groundedness we need to live authentically.
If that sounds important to you, please share this newsletter with people you know who might also be interested in building a community based around reconnecting with nature, whether that’s forwarding the newsletter or posting a link on social media platform or even spreading the word in person!
For next week, I’ll work on writing a draft of my manifesto, and I’ll look forward to sharing it with you!
Journal Prompt: What *do* you spend most of your time and resources on? Is it the thing that matters most to you? If not, what would allow you to align your efforts with your values?
Nature through the senses
Scent:
Are you planning to celebrate National Sense of Smell Day? It’s the last Saturday of April each year, which means it’s April 27 this year. I’m thinking it’s a perfect day to take a walk someplace pretty and see what nice scents we can find. What will you do to celebrate?
Sight:
The Lyrid Meteor Shower is just wrapping up for this year. If you have clear skies tonight, you may still be able to catch a bit of the show.
Sound:
Have you heard any bobwhites yet this Spring? I haven’t, and I’ve been thinking about them lately. I’ve started teaching my son to do the bobwhite call with his hands. I may even get some chicks for the farm. We’ll see….
Taste:
I was surprised to find that last year’s parsley survived the winter in one of our raised beds. I’ve always like a bit of parsley with my spaghetti – and one of the folks who actually eat the garnish!
Touch:
Now that the weather is getting warmer, who’s up for a bit of rockhounding? I found an online guide to locations for finding different types of rocks and plan to make a few expeditions this year.
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