Nature of Heart

That’s the best thing about walking, the journey itself. It doesn’t matter much whether you get where you’re going or not. You’ll get there anyway. Every good hike brings you eventually back home. Right where you started.

—Edward Abbey

Home to Nature

In this world of rapid change, where friends and relatives are often far away, we tend to scatter ourselves and our time. We end up feeling disconnected. Nature brings us home again—a soul winter turns to spring. Wherever there is a wild place, there, just for the noticing, is a gift of love and strength we can give to ourselves.

A wild place may be as close as the backdoor. It can be a backyard garden, a nature trail, a park, or an open field. You may already have a favorite location that gives you a solid sense of place—a retreat that seems woven into your soul.

For me, (author of Invisible Currents—Nature's Lessons for the Mind and Heart) the C&O Canal National Historical Park  outside of Washington, D.C. evokes a profound sense of place. It has been a source of inspiration for many years. Long ago it occurred to me that if a walk along the Canal could help me cope with personal and organizational dilemmas, the way I go about it might be useful to others as well.

Simple Process

The process is so simple, you may be doing it without even thinking about it. Here's an opportunity to consciously think at the speed of nature.

• Be upset about something in your life—that’s easy.
• Name the upset if you can—power struggle at work, personal boundaries pushed, hard choices, divorce, death.
• Take a walk—long is good.
• Do your best to forget your troubles and clear your mind—not so easy.
• Be open to what you are sensing—animals nearby, effect of light and wind, colors of water and sky, smell of earth, feel of bark and leaves, sounds around you. You get the idea.
• Notice what grabs your attention and observe it carefully. Describe it as fully and objectively as you can—in your mind or in writing. The Invisible Currents Workbook can be used to record your thoughts.
• Reflect on what you observed and how it might relate to your issue—observation and reflection equal "obserflection."
• Harvest your experience for meaning—in what way does your obserflection remind you of what was disturbing you? Is there a new name for, or way of looking at the issue?
• Continue a dialogue with yourself and others about your experience—if it seems appropriate, allow the experience in nature to stand for (be a metaphor for) what is going on in your life.

Hidden Strength—an Example

 Sound weird? "Hidden Strength," below, is an example of the types of issues in my book, Invisible Currents—Nature's Lessons for the Mind and Heart. An event from nature is first described, then questions for you to think about are under "Points to Ponder." These questions are based on the way people think and are modeled after the Focused Conversation Method developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs.

Given time after a setback, new growth can come forth.


A tree stump, sawed off a few feet above the ground and presumed dead, is expressing the miracle of renewal. Its roots, stewards of the tree's energy during the barren winter, have redirected their life-supporting sap outward. Strong green shoots at the base of the stump hold the promise of continued life.


Points to Ponder . . .

• What do you remember about an unwanted change in your life that you eventually handled well? How did you manage it?
• When did you know that you were recovering from the disaster and that new growth was coming?
• What value from this experience can you draw on to handle future change?
• Where in your personal and professional life would you like to nurture new growth? How could you go about doing this?

Invitation:  Does "Hidden Strength" have any meaning for you? We'd like to hear from you. Feel free to offer your comments. Also, check our the Nature of Heart blog.