by Ronan Scully
I was out in a boat recently in what has now become one of my favourite places in Ethiopa, Lake Tana in the North. I was with three of my close friends, Paul, Ciara and Orla, and we stopped to view the lake stretching on forever beneath and in front of us.
When we looked around, we noticed hundreds of pelicans very close by. If we had not stopped to view our surroundings, we wouldn’t have spotted them. We stopped the boat and watched in amazement, as we saw the pelicans fly, swim and play very close by us.
Slowing our pace of life
It is when we stop and slow down a bit that we really start to see and experience nature and things going on all around us. It is when we stop that we really notice the views, experience the sunsets or see nature as it really is. Stopping and being still in nature is a way we can connect to it, precisely because we see, hear and experience it more.
Taking time to be still, quieter and look around connects us to our natural surroundings. Seeing that special sunset, beautiful view or pelicans, gathering and playing like we did on Lake Tana in Ethiopia makes spending time in nature even more fulfilling. It makes us more connected and more grounded and takes us to a different, slower pace in life.
That boat trip that day on Lake Tana in Ethiopia was beautiful and peaceful, while it was both energizing and relaxing to walk through the hills, and jungles and enjoy our new found friends, the pelicans.
Spending time in nature is healing, energizing and brings peace and calmness into our lives while also reconnecting us to the world in which we live. We can walk or run in nature, sit in nature and swim in the waters of nature.
We can do this out in the wilderness or in our local park. There is something awe-inspiring about nature and we can feel most connected to this feeling in those wilderness places, the forests, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, oceans and mountains.
Of course, we con’t need to go to Ethiopia; we have them in abundance here in our own beautiful country. This inspiration is there in every space where nature is, from your garden to the city park, the prom walk by the sea or the trail through the small wooded areas, forests and mountains all around Galway.
Nature is part of us and yet we spend so little time in it. When we do, we feel a reconnection, which is more than just the fresh air, exercise or beautiful sights. It is something in your heart and soul that helps give your life some real spirit.
Thought for the week
As your thought for the week, strive to spend more time being aware of nature and let it speak to your heart and soul so that is can give your life some real and nourishing spirit.
