We all have worries. Anxiety is not far away from any of us. It is an emotion that we cannot avoid. It is associated with a loss of control. We prefer being in charge. It is more empowering knowing what is about to happen. Then we can plan for those eventualities. It is easier being prepared for challenges. But the essence of life is uncertainty. The truth is that a lot of our lives is beyond our control. If you focus on this for too long you let anxiety govern your days.

Sometimes, we long for a sense of control. We crave a sense of something definite. We need a degree of assurance. If we turn to nature we can find this. Therapeutically, it can calm and comfort the unsettled soul. Despite the threat to our world, the sun still rises and the moon always peeps through the night clouds. The birds greet each morning with their daily ritual of song. The tall trees still reach to the skies. Undaunted by their age. More deeply rooted than ever. Fully secure for hundreds of years.

I often seek a sense of security from Mother Nature. I definitely feel a sense of security when I walk on a beach. The tides know what they are doing. They are like clockwork. They are systematic. Their waters will always cover the sands. And the time comes when they withdraw and uncover a dampened golden carpet. It always happens. The seagulls glide as they always glided. The horizon remains a straight line. The natural would does it’s majestic things without any hesitancy. It’s human beings that let anxiety linger.

If you want a sense of calm. If you want inner-peace. If you seek purpose. If you desire the power of the Divine. If you want the deepest form of spirituality – Go for a walk to the riverbank. Climb a hill or mountain. Stroll through a forest or if you are privileged like me and live beside the ocean – stand at the edge knowing that you are standing at the edge of all that matters.

(C) Shane Martin