Imagine you have finally closed your computer for the day.
You feel good about the roles you’ve applied to over the last few hours. You even did a bit of video-call networking, chatting with connections who are employed at your target companies. While completely satisfied with today’s job search accomplishments, your mind and body are drained.
Suddenly, through a partially open window, you hear a bird calling. Chirp, chirp. You hear more birds call out as if joining in the merriment. Nature is beckoning you. You feel her presence. But oh, if you head on over to the nearest trail, you’ll need to get into workout clothes, don some sneakers, and fill your water bottle. The notion of pivoting from job search to hike seems surprisingly complicated.
What if you skip the prep, walk out of your house, and locate some natural beauty? Don’t take a car or bus or bike, just let your legs transport you to a small clearing, a local park, an urban garden, the intersection between streets or yards. What if you just go?
Nature is a nurturer.
That’s what the birds are going on and on about. They thrive in the trees and are tuned in to the metered exchange of moon and sun. When you slow down to observe sheer ecology, your mind soars free and has space to land and focus on the most organic realizations.
You might notice a resilient plant, pushing up between two bricks.
- Think about the persistence it takes for a seed to push into a sprout and grow out of what would seem to be an obstacle.
- A plant can find its way around the harsh impediments and so can you.
Perhaps you see a flower, its petals situated just so.
- How do the petals know how to grow around a circular interior?
- How do they coordinate so that their sizes are balanced to support their collective weight at the end of a wild stem?
- They just know. You can trust your intuition too.
A tree stump might seem forlorn, its former length no longer there to fill the space.
- However, check out the new greenery already rising from its wound.
- Growing from the loss of work, from the lack of employment, you too will come back stronger than ever with fresh elements to offer.
You see, nature nurtures. Take a few minutes to observe, listen, and reflect. Think of interesting parallels between the growth cycles of plants and trees—the rooting, the absorption of water and sunlight, the need for proper nutrition—and the career cycles of professional humans.
Not only are you professional at being human, you are a professional who is only human.
Be easy on yourself. Be forgiving. Trees don’t rush the process, they just keep growing and you will too. Nature is incredibly flexible, being patient and ferocious all at once. You can always learn.
It doesn’t take much time or preparation to appreciate nature. In fact, your garden could be your personal board of directors.
A little bit does a whole lot of good. So get out there and find yourself in the flowers.
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