Lessons From the Wild: An Invitation Into the Self
Lessons from the wild: an invitation into the self
You were born wild and free. tap into it and see the world with new eyes. Your heart will thank you. life will bloom for you if you just watch.
By fourth year Aubrey Ford
Take a look at this field. Tell me what you see.
Does it hold value? Does it bring you joy? Perhaps it is just a field. Let us zoom in.
Does life only hold value when it is our own? Imagine a line of ants bringing food back to their colony. A spider spins her web between two tree branches. Two squirrels play chase before returning to their mother. Young, shaded saplings receive nutrients from their parents (Grant). Leaves sway in the wind. The grass mingles with its neighbor.
The lawn I walk by daily houses hundreds of plants and animals living their lives. They may not know of credit cards and minimum wage, but they work hard to keep themselves and their kin alive. I sometimes wonder what life is like when we relinquish all our obligations. I am animal before I am human. I am alive before I am Aubrey.
Who are you outside of your responsibilities? When you close the laptop, who comes out? When the phone battery runs out, when no one needs “you,” who remains? Tap into this part of yourself. Let it be. Watch life lose some of the iron grip it usually holds over you. Life is hard. We all struggle, and we all have our own battles to win. But viewing yourself as a being, an animal living amongst others opens up the door for more inward empathy.
It is okay to enjoy the simple things: a nice breeze on a hot day, a little sweet treat, a joke that no one but you laughs at. They enrich our lives even if they don’t advance our careers or attract partners to us. Wild animals find pleasure in playing with their siblings or smelling something pleasant. (Browning & Veit). To them, there is no possibility of not being enough. Explore the idea that you are enough, right now. No fixing or hiding or covering up the parts of yourself you try to keep in the dark. You are human, you have needs, and you are allowed to take pleasure in things. I invite you to enjoy more simple, human pleasures. They are all around us.
Viewing ourselves in this way can help us be kinder to ourselves. Extending this view to others allows for more compassion. We are all animals, all trying our best. Notice other human moments that bring us together: singing without a care in the world , helping someone pick up something they dropped, cheering up a friend when they have a bad day, meet-cutes, knowing smiles, ooohing and ahhing, saying bless you to a stranger, complimented outfits, on and on and on. Sometimes, observing brings the same amount of fulfillment. I invite you to challenge what we are told holds value. Laughter may not pay, but it is a rich reward. Kindness remains free. Let compassion color the sights you see each day. A warm world awaits you.
Look at the field again. What do you see now? Imagine the life that may reside there. Is it valuable? Is it meaningful? Do you care for it? Take your eyes and seek out the truth– seek out life– for yourself. It is yours.
