Recently I traveled to Keystone, CO for some snow adventure and time in nature. I don’t know if you have ever been to Colorado. For me I grew up near east Tennessee. We had our version of mountains, and they are awesome. But the landscape in the wilderness of Colorado is different. It is truly mountainous. It’s magical. Each morning, I would start the day drinking coffee, writing, and watching the sun rise over the slopes. One morning as I stared at the mountain, I was reminded of how small we are as humans. It made me think, “how many times do we actually realize this?” How many times are we in a place where objects, that are not human, made are bigger than us? So many times in life we find ourselves engulfed in human-made stuff. Buildings, skyscrapers, homes, cars, etc. Some of these are awe inspiring. But I think there is something to being around objects that are larger than anything that is human made. There is a humility in this. It reminds us that something is bigger and greater than us as humans. In our world so much can feel like the “biggest” thing. The job, home, relationship, business deal, goal. It all can feel bigger than us, yet we help create it. It’s easy to lose track of ourselves when everything around us can feel like it is made by us. As if we have control over it all and that we are the biggest (or at least can build something that is the biggest). It’s easy to forget about the natural world and our place in it. I believe this makes any issue or view about life feel like the “biggest.” It gives us a false sense of power. If we create the biggest then therefore everything about us is the biggest.
If you were in streaming world over the past few years, I’m sure you heard of the show Yellowstone. If you don’t know it’s a dramatic series about a family fighting about land in Yellowstone. Think Legends of The Fall but a series with way more drama. I believe one of the main reasons the show garnered so much attention was because of the nature backdrop it showed. Sure, the story line was interesting, but the natural back drop was picturesque. Mountains, rolling fields, animals, blue skies, snow. For many, it was the first time seeing something like this. I believe there is something primal and spiritual that the natural world brings out in all of us. It’s that awe-inspiring image I mentioned earlier. If a picture can do that just imagine what being in it is like. So, I ask you, when was the last time you stopped and allowed yourself to be engulfed by something naturally bigger than you? A mountain, ocean, river, desert, rolling hills, or the night sky. You don’t have to love nature or go on a camping trip but when was the last time you took notice of something bigger than you? I challenge you to pick one of these natural wonders and experience it. Allow yourself to be a part of it. At least for a moment turn the music off, conversation slow, phone down, and just breathe in the nature. Taking in the characteristics that makes whatever you’re in great. Allow yourself to recognize your place in this wild place we call the natural world. I believe this can not only shift how you view yourself but how you view the world. Get out there, you’re part of it.
Dr. Josh