Lessons we’ve learned this year from nature

With the end of each year often comes reflection. It’s an intuitive time to pause and ponder how months past have unfolded and what they’ve brought. Inevitably, we look back, process, and appreciate how we’ve changed and grown. Clarity and conviction follow.

If we let it, nature can be our greatest teacher. An unparalleled designer, example, and guide, it is the blueprint for how we should move through the world – gently and consistently showing us how we can live more consciously, more harmoniously, with greater purpose. These are some of the lessons we’ve gleaned over the last year from looking and learning about the natural world.

Under the surface of the earth, in the ‘ordinary’ behaviour or appearance of a ubiquitous species, in the intricate networks inside a leaf, there is wonder to be found. In our daily coming and going, we can elevate the experience of existing simply by taking the time to observe – to notice the small, seemingly commonplace details and moments that link together to create a day. These, rather than the milestone events, form the bulk of our lives, and if we look a little more closely, we’ll find that this is where the real inspiration lies. In the everyday miracles that make up the fabric of life, revealing just how full the world is of beauty, brightness, and wonder.

No matter where you find yourself, you’ll never truly be alone. Even when you think you’re solo, you are always surrounded by an abundance of life. Ours is a humming, buzzing, vibrating world – full of energy and activity, some visible and some unseen. This is especially clear when you’re in nature and can sit, undistracted and listen, smell, and feel it moving all around you. A reminder that we are not simply separate entities but part of a living, breathing system and that it is our duty to act accordingly. The impact of how we move, where we step, and our response to what’s around us matters, rippling forward into the future in ways we might not see, but are felt by the rest of the natural world.

In nature, the seasons dictate the right time for everything. In the heat of the day, animals become more mindful of their movement. In these moments, it isn’t helpful; they need rest. This doesn’t mean nothing is happening or they’re being unproductive. It’s simply a necessary hiatus to prepare them for what’s next. In many instances, it spells their survival. Soil must regenerate before seeds can grow, and certain wildlife must hibernate in winter to recuperate and reserve energy. Humans, too, must set aside time to pause, rest, and recoup. Our bodies tell us how to respond to our environment. We only need to learn to listen – and this starts with stopping.

Some flowers only open for an hour before they’ve served their purpose. Some species make the last of their kind, and some journeys happen only once. Impermanence is inherent to nature. Knowing the sun will soon fade makes us appreciate the last light and warmth of the day. The same can apply to our experience of the rest of the natural world. There’s so much to see, to learn, to care about, not only because it may one day be gone, or we may never encounter it again, but because it’s here now and alive, and therefore valuable. The more we take stock of what’s around us, the more incredible it becomes, and with this comes gratitude. One of the most nourishing fruits nature has to bear.

We see the continuation of things clearly in the natural world – in the infinite loop of the seasons, the cyclical lives of animals, the passing on of knowledge and wisdom. Things repeat, recycle, reform, and evolve. Something dies, but something else grows in its place. The rains pass but leave signs that they will return. Energy moves from one place to the next. We can take heed of this in our own lives – the end of something is not bad, or good, it simply is. As another year draws closer, we should be setting intentions rather than resolutions or goals. Pledges not grounded in guilt, or with an end, but to ourselves and the world around us, rooted in hope and promise.