Enjoy the Gifts of Noticing Nature

Do you sometimes long for a deeper connection to nature, or a more comfortable sense of calm? 

In this episode, you’ll hear an original poem, "Would You Notice?," written by Lia Girard, and consider its deeper meaning as it applies to your own interactions with the natural world. Lia offers encouragement to slow down and notice all that’s freely offered to you, as gifts of grace.

Today’s episode invites you to: 

- pay attention to all the ways nature nourishes you

- understand that time in nature resets your mental clarity

- choose to slow down and be kind to yourself

You’ll also be given a phrase, inspired by the poem, to ponder as your week unfolds. 

Lia Girard is a poet, writer, author, wife, and mom whose feature articles are found on iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, and other inspirational platforms. 

You can explore her poetry, often inspired by the wonders of nature, on Instagram: @wildpeace.poetry. 

If you love the show, or any episode resonates with you, please rate or review the show on your favorite platform, or email your feedback to lia@wildpeacepoetry.com.

Transcript

Speaker 0:02

Hello and welcome to Heart of a Wildflower. This is a space that invites you to slow down, reconnect, and find beauty in every season. I'm Lia Girard, your host, and I'm so glad you're here. In each episode, we'll consider an aspect of love, longing, or life, such as heartache, healing, or hope, by reading and exploring a poem together. We'll end with a thoughtful word or phrase to contemplate as your week unfolds. Today, let's unpack a poem I wrote titled, Would You Notice? I wrote it as a hug to you to remind you that nature gives freely and it's full of wonders worth seeking. It's my hope that all of us could rearrange a bit of this overstuffed life and dedicate a little more time to savor nature wherever we go. All of its elements are actually life support, not simply sounds or resources. I also believe creation in all its colors and patterns has something to say specifically to you. You only need to notice. Would you notice? Would you notice if the clouds withheld their rain? If snow would cease becoming spring again? If buds forgot to blossom, would you see the promise or the purpose of a tree? If creeks lay still and soundless while the birds closed up their throats refusing to be heard, would suddenly your heart begin to feel that all the things you own are not as real as everything that's given raw and free, like moonlight, caverns, rainbows, and the sea? When mountains, valleys, butterflies, and leaves all strum their sweet, familiar harmony. I hope you notice these are gifts of grace, rising, falling, slowing down your pace, touching feelings buried deep inside, and proving that creation doesn't hide. Instead, it pours and sighs so you can see it's marvelous to simply, purely be. Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a storm, sunrise, or any natural wonder that just struck you deeply and made you draw closer or stand still? Did you find that your soul longed to linger there? Maybe sometimes in the rush of responsibilities, it seems focus can lean more toward what you need to achieve than what the world around you is supplying and balancing, deconstructing and rebuilding for you. Nature offers you escape, refreshment, harmony, thrills, nourishment, cleansing, and an endless supply of gifts without ever sending you an invoice or requiring an expensive upgrade or asking you to perform. Fact is, we are actually physically dependent on and intertwined with nature. It provides water, oxygen, and food, and an abundance of botanical remedies. It's fascinating that well-known environmental psychologists developed the proven attention restoration theory, or art, which shows that spending time in nature reduces mental fatigue. What the theory terms soft fascination is how nature actually replenishes clarity. You see, when we stay in a state of directed attention in digital settings, we wind up with mental exhaustion. The art of noticing nature by gazing at scenery like moving clouds or rustling leaves gently holds your focus without taxing your brain, effectively nurturing your recovery from overload. In addition, the well-regarded stress reduction theory or SRT reveals that natural sights activate your parasympathetic nervous system, promoting rest, digestion, and healing. These significant revelations are why our poem today says, if buds were got to blossom, would you see the promise or the purpose of a tree? Trees of all different kinds give a cornucopia of fruit, nuts, shade, protection, flowers, and music in their leaves. They're always trusting the process and asking you to as well. Part of today's poem, would you notice, asks for a shift in perspective, for you to touch and receive nature as pure grace. You can't earn it, but you can appreciate it. Love it. Spend time asking what your place is within it. And enjoy simply being in its presence. Perhaps if you could let a few things on your calendar go this week in favor of going out to commune with nature, you might notice a difference in you. Maybe you can stop and lean into the face of a wildflower, or slowly study a pine cone's design, or just close your eyes and soak in the sounds of local birds. See if in time you recognize a new sense of calm. Allow this practice, as our poem says, to touch feelings buried deep inside and show you that because creation doesn't hide whatever it's going through, you don't have to either. You are upheld and accepted just as you are in the arms of nature. I hope you go looking for that promise this week. You might find it in a feather, a vine, or a lichen-covered stump, or high up in the stars. Wherever outdoors you feel alive and at peace, you can be sure that this aspect of the natural world knows and loves you. As we close, I'd like to leave you with a phrase from the poem to ponder. And that phrase is slowing down. Believe me, I know it's countercultural and even uncomfortable at times. Even though I treasure the pace of nature, I still catch myself rushing as though someone's judging my accomplishments or my very existence. I don't think you or I ever have to get it just right. Just maybe downshift from time to time to be kind to yourself. No one else is going to do your most important work, and that is taking care of your own needs so you can help others. It requires slowing down to identify them, listening to your heart, and finding quiet places where this can happen. I know you don't need an assignment from me because life is full enough, but let's imagine that possibly you could do one small part of your life, whether it's your morning walk, your bedtime routine, or your drive to work a little more slowly. Instead of pushing yourself too hard, you can let yourself get reacquainted with a rhythm that's more natural for you. Thank you for spending this time with me today. I hope it offered you room to reflect and reconnect with yourself. If this episode spoke to you, please share it with a friend or drop me an email at lia@wildpeacepoetry.com. You can also find my poetry and message me on Instagram: @wildpeace.poetry. Until next time, keep blooming in your own wild and wonderful way.