Over the past while I have been feeling a bit down. My life seems to be on a cusp of change, but I feel that I am spinning my wheels. Do you know what I mean? Have you felt like that? Old patterns are, well, they are getting old.

New vistas are drawing beautiful and powerful images in my mind, but the stress of living in a redundant mental space is wearing on me. I can feel the change but I am caught by habit.

What to do? Well, whenever I am confronted with stasis — whenever I feel stuck in a lifeless rut — I go back to basics. And what can be more basic than nature? Nature has always been my bedrock; it has balance and moves gracefully with change. Nature can stimulate us likewise to regain our own balance, and to accept change with enthusiasm and grace.

And so we went on a trip into the wisdom of nature’s beauty and power.

Wells Gray Provincial Park

For four glorious days we achieved full-stop on the old-patterns throttle. Nothing existed but the eternal NOW.

Would we sit and relax by the powerful Clearwater River, entranced by its siren song, or would we hike up into the forest trails? No mixed messages, no ambiguity, nothing nebulous there — just clear choices with good outcomes guaranteed. Well, there are mosquitoes and bears, natural dangers and other possible disasters, but we accept that risk and take action accordingly.

We have been in the wilderness quite a bit. We’ve hiked in alpine meadows that are rated as prime Grizzly territory, and canoe-tripped in remote areas of British Columbia. We have learned to accept risk to gain the rewards of being in the wilds. We know how to behave if we encounter a bear when hiking, or dangerous water in the canoe. That knowledge frees us to discover and to enjoy ourselves.

And that is one of nature’s best lessons: life is a risky venture, and to venture forth, we need to take risks; some calculated, and some out of necessity, but always rewarding.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

… Anais Nin

This was just a fairly civilized camping trip though, not a dig-your-own-latrine-in-the-bush type camping trip. We tented in Falls Creek Campground, complete with fire pit, outhouses, and camp fees. Nature though, knows nothing of the amenities of the campground. The area is very wild and beautiful. Venture a bit from camp — hike up into the forest trails and routes — and you are in another world, light-years away from old patterns.

We know this area well. We have been coming to this part of the world for decades, and it holds precious memories for us. Some view points have become obstructed by the growth of the trees and new ones have presented themselves. A fresh bear’s den that we discovered 25 years ago is now collapsed into the lush undergrowth; no longer as mysterious and intimidating as it was. The land has shifted and the dead-fall that formed the framework of the den have decayed. The bears have abandoned the den as a viable hibernation abode.

Well it wasn’t a lucky home for the first bear that hibernated there. Winter buried the den in ten feet of snow, but hungry wolves sniffed him out, dug him out, and ate him. Nature can be ruthless, depending on your position at the time.

And perhaps that’s another important lesson that nature can teach us: everything changes, and we are not the center of the universe. Life goes on around us. No matter how we organize and plan, the unplanned-for can happen. Better to live fully and NOW rather than in past memories or an imagined future.

“Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing. Yet the timeless in you is aware of life’s timelessness, and knows that yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.”

… Kahlil Gibran

Nature Never Fails

So there I am standing on trembling ground in front of Bailey’s Chute, an awesome piece of powerful water on the Clearwater River, and I am thinking of my life. What should I do? How will I proceed from here? And the river provides the answer: do what is in your nature and move around, through, or over, any obstacle in your path.

A powerful river is on an eternal course. Its nature is to move relentlessly forward. And the lesson from nature is to do similarly. Water is a good analogy for our focus and direction in life. It is the softest of substances, but it can wear away the hardest of obstacles. If we are listening then, nature is telling us that the softest part of our nature is indeed the strongest. When we apply our sensitive natures over time, we will move around, through, or over, any obstacle — just like a powerful river.

“The softest thing in the world can override the hardest. Such a thing seems to issue forth from nowhere, yet it penetrates everywhere. It does not contend but it surely wins.”

… Lao Tse

As I think back on those few beautiful days in nature, I am reminded of the following lessons:

• Be in the NOW, always
• Be aware of yourself and your circumstances
• Simplify your life each and every day
• Be willing to accept risks that you understand
• Life is change–go with it
• Take action that is consistent with your nature
• Be persistent, keep moving forward, and you will reach the ocean of your dreams

Perhaps they can serve you also. And to reinforce them, I encourage you to take your own trip into whatever nature is around you. Truly, nature will never let you down. it will always present the lessons you need to learn the most.

I also want to share with you some photos of those few days, including two or three of me relaxing into it all. Here then is a link to those photos on my FaceBook page for Zen-Moments: Wells Gray Park Trip June 2010

I hope you enjoy the photos, share your thoughts in the comments, and do sign up to the FaceBook page if you’d like.

Over to you now!

The clouds were low; silver-grey with blushes of violet to the west, and an intense blue-grey to the east. It was 1994, and spring was about to bless us with some needed rain.

“The garden will love it,” Rosemarie said. I agreed, though not with the same hard-won conviction as my Wife’s, after all, it was Rosemarie who created our garden and it was she who mainly toiled in it.

We had a large garden (and still do) filled with plenty of delicious raspberries, gooseberries, currants of all sorts, and most of the vegetables we needed for the year ahead. For Rosemarie, the garden was her labor of love; her way of connecting to life at its purest, and to who she is at heart.

It was a quiet day, and every living thing seemed to be in their own separate world, including us. I was taking a break from a new painting I was working on, Rosemarie was finishing some planting, and the ravens were dive-bombing Jones, our black cat.

Critter Dramas

Watching how Jones responded was comical. He was convinced that he was the predator and they were the prey. But the Ravens were fearless; they held to a different set of definitions. To them, the world was theirs and so they attacked and claimed space. Our poor little Jones became short-circuited by the gap between his instincts and the situation. He sat hugging the ground for a while, frozen in fear, his jaw quivering as he tried to make threatening noises. He then ran off, ears flattened tight back, eyes big like saucers.

It was intriguing to watch the dramas being played out on our small patch of earth in the middle of town. All of the creatures that graced our property had their own stories, that through time and observation they shared with us.

There was the Raven with the bad leg and injured wing, and the Red-Winged Blackbird with the bald head; the only one that remained in area from the fifty or so that over-wintered with us. Was he an outcast? The odd dog wanders over to say hello, or to Rosemarie’s dismay, to relieve himself in the loose black soil.

Our beautiful one third of an acre in the heart of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley became for us, a crucible, a microcosm of nature’s cycles and dramas. We chased the dogs, the dogs chased the cats, the cats chased just about anything smaller than themselves, and of course the ravens chased Jones. All of them playing between fear and desire.

The Hike

“Would you like to go for a hike?” Rosemarie asked between streams of quiet thought. “Sure, I guess I can finish the painting later. It might rain though” I said. We had had our share of relationship difficulties in the recent past and we were still feeling the weight of circumstances. Did I really want to go for a hike in the bush, in the rain? “That’s okay; it’s good for the garden, so it might be good for us as well,” Rosemarie answered, sensing what I might be feeling.

A few moments later then, the sky a bit darker with vertical columns of misty grey; rain in the distance, we set out in our camper van. We called her Betsy.

Betsy had been our vehicle on many an adventure. Settling into her seats was like coming home to the magic of ourselves. All of our worries and frustrations would dissolve into her, as we focused through her windshield on where we were, and where we envisioned going.

After a brief discussion of where to hike, we decided on Okanagan Mountain Park; a large wild area at the edge of town. There, steep trails lead to beautiful high places where the breeze is always fresh, the grass is always golden, and the lake below is always an iridescent blue shimmer.

On this day though we would not hike to those highest places. Our goal was only about 40 minutes uphill. I wanted to show Rosemarie the eagle’s nest I had discovered the previous week.

Rain was falling gently when we arrived, and the few people that were in the area were leaving. Donning an old oiled canvas hat to keep the rain off my head and glasses, we began hiking up to the point where we could make our own way off-trail to the nest. The rain made the ground less stable and the rocks slippery as if coated with a thin film of oil.

Being careful not to destroy the lichen as we stepped, knowing how fragile it is, we slowly climbed, stopping now and then to fully soak in the beauty that we were immersed in.

Though the rain was increasing, and we were in some fairly thick brush at times, we were dressed for it. Nevertheless, we and everything around us was wet. We could have become annoyed by it I suppose, but though heavier, the rain still retained that fine quality. It wasn’t a driving rain, but rather, it caressed the skin.

“The people that left when it began raining; they missed all of this” I thought. When it rains in the bush it can feel somehow lonely, but it rewards you with all the saturated colors; the green that is greener than green. And the aromas that the rain releases are to die for; the musky smell of the grasses, the pine and fir needles, the wet rock, the soaked soil.

The Lesson

We did arrive at the Eagle’s nest, but they were no where in sight. It didn’t matter though. We rested under the shelter of a large Ponderosa Pine not far from their lair, our backs against the broad sturdy trunk, our behinds nestled into a springy layer of golden-brown needles, warm with the energy of the earth.

We fell immersed in a profound and natural silence; a pure communion, punctuated only by the rain, and the small trickling sound of a nearby stream making its way through moss and rock, on its path to the blue lake below.

In those twenty minutes or so we were completely together, in sync, and in love. All of our differences dissolved. We sat in that inner silence, sinking deeply into nature’s embrace. Such a calm and beautiful power washed through us under that old tree. We didn’t have to say a word. I doubt that we even could. Later, we simply agreed to get out more often together — rain or shine.

Nature is a clear and powerful teacher. She is always there with a timely lesson. We set out to go for a simple hike, to take a break, to see the eagles. We ended up immersing ourselves in the richness of a rain-soaked mountainside, reconfirming our commitment not to be fair-weather friends with nature; to be with her only in her sunshine. And we silently confirmed with each other that we would not be fair-weather friends and lovers.

Nature showed us, with richness, grace, and natural ease, a simple path to happiness. She reminded us that no matter what our circumstances are, they carry hidden gifts that we receive when we fully accept those circumstances, and remain present in each moment, with each step we take.

On that day in the rain, we discovered a deeper level of beauty that is still with us today.

Desire, and how you respond to it, determines the substance and quality of your life.

Desire is the juice of life. It courses through you like a river, carving its way through the soil of your psyche.

Desire is powerful. It moves and shapes you. But desire can also seduce you.

There are two types of desires. Some motivate you to better yourself. These good desires lead you to a life of excellence and integrity. The other type of desires — and we all have them — lead you astray from your principals. They are caustic desires that corrode and corrupt your good intentions and life direction.

Knowing how to tell the difference between the two is the key to turning your life around.

Desires that are good for you

Desires that are good for you are constructive. They expand and improve your life by developing your natural strengths and talents. Following the call of these desires leads you to greater heights of personal, spiritual, and professional fulfillment.

Some examples of good desires are:

The desire to…

• Take a course to further your career skills
• Pay more attention to your relationship
• Spend more time with your family
• Be a good example for your children
• Become the best person that it is in your nature to be
• Handle money responsibly and enjoy its benefits
• Value the simple and timeless treasures that life offers you
• Be grateful for everything you have
• Live a healthy lifestyle

Desires that seduce you

These are the desires that will destroy you if you act on them. They have nothing to do with your happiness or success. They are quick fixes for damaged emotions. Their “feel better” effect is short-lived. Their destructiveness is long-term.

They seduce you with the promise of satisfaction; not some time in the future, but right now. They take the edge off your struggle, and so you are hooked. You know that it doesn’t last, but you can’t resist. And because it doesn’t last, you come back for more; all the while, saying to yourself, “This is only temporary. Tomorrow I will do things differently, but for now I need to feel better.” Then you crash, you get seduced again, and the cycle continues. Your life spirals out of your control.

Some examples of seductive desires are:

The desire to…

• Escape from your problems by distracting yourself with mindless entertainment
• Be romantically or sexually involved with others to avoid dealing with your present relationship issues
• Fill the void within you with food.
• Raise your spirits with alcohol and drug abuse
• Repeatedly enter destructive relationships as an affirmation of your self-image
• Accumulate money and possessions as a measure of success
• Control others to replace your lack of true empowerment
• Use debt to purchase a life you can’t afford to maintain

7 ways to stop the seduction

If you know that you are acting on desires that are not in your best interests, here are 7 ways to begin turning things around.

1. Admit that you are being seduced by your desires. You don’t have to announce it to the world. You do have to clearly say it to yourself though. Project ahead in time and understand where your current path will lead you. If it isn’t where you want to be end up, then…
2. Identify your true and proper path. You know who you really are. You know the best that is within you. Project that person ahead in time to see what can be. How does it feel?
3. Make a list of changes that will put you on the right track. What do you need to stop doing? What do you need to do more? Keep it honest. Don’t hide from the truth anymore. No one has to see your list. It is for your eyes only.
4. Take small actions every day to break the seduction. Be aware of your desires, and one by one, replace destructive desire with constructive desire, and then act on it.
5. Revel in the results of positive action. Learn to equate your sense of satisfaction with the good feeling you get when you do the right thing. The results from your positive actions may not be immediate — but they will be real, and they will be permanent. Take pleasure in this, because they will bring you happiness and contentment.
6. Reward yourself for successfully changing each item on your list. Your true reward will come automatically, but do treat yourself with a little extra when you know in your heart that you have earned it. Make it your way of acknowledging and affirming your new direction.
7. Ask for help if it becomes clear that you are not breaking the cycle. If after a few weeks, you find yourself repeating destructive habits, despite your best intentions and efforts, then seek some assistance. It is difficult to say that you would like help, but it is far easier than spending the rest of your life on a continuing downward spiral.

We can all relate to bad habits, and we all know that they are, well, bad for us. But this is personal, and it is important. So you have to ask yourself:

Am I being seduced by my desires? Where will they lead me? Do I want to go down that road? What would a better road look like? And, what will I do to turn my life around?

Over to you now…

Ironically, the simplest route to the good life is through a cliche.

How silly is that? We ignore cliches because, well — they are cliche. Cliches are why we invented the word platitude. Why would we look to one for the good life?

Creating the good life should be a breeze. We are intelligent. We have power. We have resources. For starters, we have money. We can buy the good life.

We all watch television. The formula is simple: work long hard hours, earn plenty of money, then buy the good life at your local big-box store. The timing can be tricky, but you can even out the cash flow with some credit.

Of course, stuff happens: lay-offs, divorces, medical bills. Our loans officer though, is always there to help us out with more credit. Thank goodness for compassion. And when our debt erodes our disposable income, well, we have consolidation loans. Life is good, right?

But in the event that doesn’t quite do it for you — if your great American dream has been repossessed — there is another route to the good life.

The best things in life are free

Yup — the best things in life are free. Ah, the simple life. It reminds you of an old Jimmy Stewart film doesn’t it?

Can trite be true though? One thing is certain: free, is always worth looking into.

Nothing of course is 100% free. Everything has its price. Fortunately, you can purchase a truckload of pure enjoyment with little more than your time and attention.

We know that our consumerism is not sustainable, nor are the satisfactions we gain from it. Buying the good life is like doing drugs: you need progressively bigger hits to maintain the buzz, while debt quietly deadens your spirit. Have we not had enough of that?

This might be going out on a limb, but think back to when you were a child. Take a breath, and allow some of your finer, pleasurable memories, to surface. Remember those times when you smiled from your heart, when you experienced awe, when you enjoyed simple friendship and laughed through teary eyes?

Those moments in your childhood were the good life — they were some of the best things in life — and they were free.

Those moments are still inside of you. Better yet, you get to pass moments like that on to your children if you have any. And if you don’t have children, well, you get to share them with your partner and good friends.

The best things in life list

• Walking under the magic light of sunrise or sunset. It doesn’t matter where.
• Watching your child sleep.
• Sipping coffee in the garden with someone you love.
• Tenting by a river.
• Playing music with friends.
• Learning to meditate.
• Going for a walk in the rain — on purpose.
• Building forever memories in your children by being in nature with them.
• Doing a backpacking or canoe trip.
• Enjoying a salad of fresh lettuce and tomatoes from your garden, still warm from the sun.
• Exploring Tai Chi, Chi Gung, or Yoga.
• Taking time out for yourself, by yourself, to think about life.
• Going for a run at dawn.
• Having pride in creating something of beauty and value, with your hands.
• Taking a bicycle trip.
• Simply enjoying being in your body while you work or exercise.

Well that’s just a short list of free, or almost free, ways for you to enjoy some of the best that life offers. They are a direct path to a truly good life.

When we handle money with respect we can enjoy our wealth and improve our world with it, but most wealthy people, that are also truly happy, have a strong foundation in simple pleasures. And for those of us that are not wealthy, we can be every bit as happy — perhaps more — for free.

What simple, free activities, have you found to enrich your life? Is it easy or difficult for you to make time for simple pleasures like these? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Over to you now.