Sometimes, it’s the simple things

Photo by Charlie Round-Turner

I took the opportunity to go on a long country walk last week-end.  Breathing in the tranquility of the clean forest air made me realise how important it is for us to connect with nature and how easily we can forget the wonder of the simple things in life.

Connecting with Nature

Walking along the winding country paths and listening to the birdsong reminded me of how we too, as human beings, are part of the whole realm of nature. The highly individualistic and competitive culture we live in can sometimes make us feel alone and disconnected from our fellow citizens and the environment.

Taking the time to reconnect with nature is then fundamental to our wellbeing. Indeed, research has shown how connecting with nature can improve both our physical health and psychological wellbeing. This is particularly relevant given the largely urban and desk-based lives that many of us lead.

The country walk I took with a small group of friends also made me realise something very important that is too easily forgotten — sometimes, it is the simple things in life that are the most powerful!

The Simple Things

We live in a world today that places high importance on the pursuit of accolades, status and wealth. It is very easy to get distracted by the constant media messages that seek to condition us into feeling inadequate for not being a certain way or not owning the latest “in thing”.

Our technology-augmented, fast paced lives can make us forget the simple things that are so important — the laughs shared amongst friends, the pleasantness of a cool breeze on a summer’s day, the smell of fresh coffee in the morning.

We can become so engrossed in where we think we should be going in life that we forget the little things — we forget to be grateful for what we have and for the joy that it gives us. No matter how busy we are, we all need to take a moment to smell the flowers and appreciate the simple things in life.