What Can Nature Teach You Today?
As highly sensitive people (HSPs), It might help us to follow the guidelines set by nature rather than societal standards that don't match who we are naturally and our experience in the world. We are more connected to nature than anyone else, and by following its lead, we might be able to better support and accept our experiences in the world.
Nature teaches us...
Nothing bloom continuously; cycles of dormancy are a normal part of nature. This can help us know that we also go through times of slowing down when we feel like we are not productive or tired at certain times, which is a normal cycle.
Things in nature need certain conditions to thrive, and sometimes we must create those conditions that support thriving. Notice how we don't blame the plant for not doing well; we think about what we can do to help its growth.
Taking our time and following the flow of our natural pattern works best.
Storms come and go, and while they might impact us, we can recover with patience and time and sometimes even become more resilient.
Sometimes the most precious, beautiful parts of nature are the most delicate and need unique care (just like HSPs).
Self-acceptance and understanding that our differences are needed and play an important role in the life cycle.
Sometimes crowding impacts our growth. Sometimes we need to trim pieces of our life (or people from our life) that might hinder our bloom, which is why boundaries are essential for us. Sometimes certain things and people can help promote our growth too! (Just like certain plants do well next to others and certain ones don't!
Nature reminds us that beauty comes in many different forms. This a good time to share a quote I love from Ram Dass...
“When you go out into the woods, and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘You are too this, or I’m too this.’ That judgment mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.”
In the comments below, I would love to hear from you…
What else would you add that nature has taught you?
Does this perspective help you be kinder to yourself and accept your experience a little more?
What perspective has this helped you understand about yourself a little more? ❤️
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Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is an HSP Psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, the author of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person, and founder of The Sensitive Empowerment Community. Her HSP Podcast ranks top 5% of most shared and listened to worldwide. Julie's free webinars and resources, online courses, and blog have helped millions of HSPs reduce the challenges of living with sensitivity in an overstimulating world. Her greatest joy is helping sensitive people discover their significant value and see them share their much-needed gifts with the world. Julie loves connecting in her community and warmly invites you to join this positive, professionally moderated, ad-free, inclusive, welcoming, sensitive family. Explore her resources and learn how her brain training program reduces anxiety within the first two weeks at JulieBjelland.com❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)
Some men have expressed frustration about my focus on women’s autism experiences, but this emphasis addresses a longstanding research gap that makes women-centered support essential.