How Much Does It Really Matter?

One of my absolute favorite places to be is right in the middle of a forest.  I love being surrounded by nothing but nature, immersed in the sounds of the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees, the singing of the birds, and the sounds of the animals as they scurry about through the leaves and up the trees.

It’s my haven; it’s my eden.  It’s my place of calm and serenity.  It’s where I love to be whenever I can get there, and it is a place where I feel grounded, at peace, and a place where I can become very clear.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity on a beautiful day to make my way to a local nature center, which features a lengthy walking path through the woods.  Along the way, I took my time and just took in the sounds, smells, and other sensations.

As I made my way to one of the thickest areas of the forest, I stopped, listened, and observed.  I began to think about a lot of things that people spend their time concerned with, such as what’s being reported on in the news, what’s going on in sports, what’s going on at work, and other things in which people consume their thoughts and affairs.

Finally, amidst it all, one question popped into my head, as I stood there, listening and observing:

“How much does it really matter?”

How much do those birds care about what’s going on in sports?  Do the squirrels have a care about the individual or collective problems we face?  What do the trees have to say about it?  How much does does that really matter right here, right now, in this forest?

When I took the time to think about it through this perspective, it was extremely pacifying and calming.  It also provided a moment of levity, as I realized that sometimes the things that we get caught up in, in a much different and larger perspective, really don’t matter as much as we think they do when we are completely immersed in whatever it is that we’re caught up in at the moment (and keep going back to with our thoughts).

I reflected upon this afterward, trying to figure out why exactly I felt that extreme calm and serenity at that moment.  The answer came later as I was reading a piece about conflict resolution, and there was a passage about gaining a point of view that is outside yourself and broadening your perspective.

“That’s it!”  I thought.  It’s a change in perspective.  When I was in those woods, I began to view the world considering the perspective of the forest as a whole and everything within it.  I thought about the trees and the animals, and wondered what our individual human concerns meant to the forest.  At that moment, the individual, egoic concerns of mine (and human kind as a whole) seemed completely miniscule, minor, and irrelevant, and it was lovely (and liberating).

I encourage you to find your own personal haven.  Perhaps, just like me, it’s the forest.  Maybe it’s on a calm lake, or perhaps on the beach along the ocean.  Maybe it’s only a place you know about.  Wherever it is, I encourage you to visit that place, either physically or mentally, and just immerse yourself in the experience.  Take in the sounds, sights, smells, and any other sensations you can, and just “be” for a moment.

Listen to the “symphony” of sounds that exist in the here and now.  Think about this haven as a whole entity, rather than a collection of individual parts.  Just take it all in.

Then, finally, once you’ve gained a perspective of your haven, just observe and reflect.  Let things happen, and see what thoughts come to mind for you.  Perhaps you’ll also find those moments of absolute clarity, which provide you with the peace and serenity you desire, or perhaps you’ll find moments of inspiration that will help you in one or more ways.

When we can assume a point of view outside of ourselves, sometimes we can gain the peace and clarity that we desire to give us a sense of perspective of the size of our own concerns.  For me, the simple question of “How much does that really matter” had a profound effect upon me, and has carried over into my life outside of my haven, and has still provided clarity and peace many times over.

I wish you the best on your journey to your haven, and as you discover those moments of peace, serenity, and clarity.

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholas_t/4676922881