Have you ever stopped and thought about how much effort we put into going against the forces of nature? Mowing our lawns, cutting back trees, shaving various parts of our bodies, changing the air temperatures in our homes and offices. It’s a phenomenal amount of energy we spend!
Trying to keep on top of all these things is not only exhausting, it’s time consuming. Given that most of us don’t have time to even look at ourselves in the mirror these days (anyone else get taken back to year 8 sex ed classes where we were told to use a hand mirror to 'get to know ourselves better' when you hear that term? Just me? Okay then…), the last thing we need is added pressure to do things which are essentially pointless.
So, I propose a new way of going about life. One where we start to go with the forces of nature a bit more. I don’t mean going full 70s in the hair department, or letting our yards overgrow to the point of looking like a house in a horror movie. I just mean we can ease up on having everything look perfect all of the time.
(Looks are just looks after all. If we are depending on them to make us happy, by gosh, we’ve got a long way to go!)
Instead of mowing every two weeks, let it slide to three. Instead of heating your house to 28 degrees, heat it to 26. Let your car lose its shine every now and again. Eat fruit that is locally in season, rather than the stuff that has been transported from the other side of the world.
By making really simple choices to go with the forces of nature where we can, we save the planet a whole lot of natural resources. Every time we choose to accept the natural world for what it is, rather than trying to change it for our own convenience, we help it to flourish.
All it takes is having a little respect for the very thing we depend of for survival – Mother Earth.
Do you do anything in your daily life to go with the forces of nature? What is it?