“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world” – John Muir.

Humans have forgotten our connection to nature. We lose touch with nature’s rhythms when we stay up very late and sleep in late. We choose to eat foods not found in nature, leaving our bodies trying to figure out how to process the stuff. We can stay inside for days in an artificial environment with artificial lights, never interacting with the outdoors.
We have free will to choose, but these choices may disconnect us from the cycles of nature, day and night, and seasons.

We begin to believe we are separate beings without connection to either nature or the creatures; we share the planet with humans and others. We may think we’re above the laws of nature; our actions don’t affect the world around us. But this is a mistaken view. We are a part of this world, intertwined within it.

We are meant to be a part of the cycles of nature. Our bodies naturally follow the rhythms of day and night. When we circumvent the natural rhythms, we introduce imbalances. We create imbalances not only within ourselves but in the world around us. We create dis-ease, ill health, a lack of vitality, and a lack of genuine connection. Our disregard for nature’s laws creates havoc in our environment, leaving nature struggling to maintain its balance.

To heal ourselves and the world, we must come back to the understanding that we are not beyond the world, separated from the ebb and flow of time and seasons. Instead, we are a part of these cycles, nature influences us, and we, in turn, affect the world around us through our actions.

We don’t need to return to primitive ways of living but to reconnect to the natural world’s vital energy. We must realign our false belief that we are disconnected, isolated beings. We need to remember we are part of a whole.

Small steps lead to significant gains for both yourself and the planet. Spend a few minutes outside, go to sleep a little earlier, and get up a little earlier, choose a few fresh foods. Reuse and recycle, and cut wasteful consumption by not buying things you don’t need. Remember, humans have free will, so use it wisely to connect and be a positive force on the planet.