it’s no secret that i love nature. and that i find peace and inspiration from mother earth. climbing a mountain, walking in the woods, sitting by the sea… these places teach me + remind me + energize me.
but, i don’t have to travel to far off places to feel the power of nature. often just looking out my window gives me all of the inspiration that i need.
but, you know what makes it even better?
music.
there are moments that i find just the perfect song, and if i just happen to listen to the perfect song at the same time that i happen to be enjoying quiet moment of looking up at trees or feeling the grass between my toes or the sunshine warming my face, then i have found a pure moment of magic.
this week, my friends, wasn’t the best. i just had all of this crazy negativity around me. not to mention, people i care for deeply were struggling with their own things. and, to be honest with you, i had a hard time fending it all off. it’s like whatever energy was around me, i tended to soak it up. and i don’t want to do that. i want to counteract it all with positivity. i want to radiate massive amounts of love + compassion back. but, instead, many times i just soak up the crap that happens to be around me. and i realize, once again, that i am human + i can’t fix everything. and then it all feels like shit.
i know, i know. i can’t be perfect. and the negative, tough, sad, infuriating moments are all part of life. i really know that. and i am not seeking to rid the world of suffering. but, i also do not apologize for my sensitive soul that feels the pain of others in addition to my own pain. the challenge is to live with it all, to feel it all, to let it all be just as it are, and to stay connected to one’s self at the same time. to not get stuck and to keep moving on.
so, the antidote for my unpleasant moments this week was to turn to music + nature.
my walks to and from work were my saviors. i took photos, let the lyrics + instruments beating in my ears inspire me, and observed the obvious changing of the seasons day by day.
and, on the days that were the most draining, in the middle of the day i left work and retreated to a bench by the river for some alone time. i closed my eyes, ignored the stares of the people walking past me, and meditated. being aware of everything around me, letting it all pass by, and feeling the centeredness of connecting with my soul in the midst of everyday life.
right now, autumn is in full swing in sweden. the palette outside my window changes every single day. it seems almost that with every moment another tree changes color, another leaf falls to the ground, the air gets just a bit more chilly, and another group of geese honk as they pass by on their south bound journey.
for me, nature’s gift to us as the seasons change, is the gift of wisdom.
by simply being aware + observing, by only slowing down just a little bit as we go through our days, there is so much that nature can teach us. about life and loss and change. about transformation and evolving and trusting the process.
so, this month, i created a playlist of songs that i believe have nuggets of wisdom hidden within their lyrics + music. many of the songs are also about nature. darkness, autumn, light, trees, morning, spirit, magic, the moon…
it is my hope that, as we live our everyday life throughout this month, as we experience autumn or spring, we will slow down just enough to let the music fill our souls and let the beauty of nature whisper to us of messages of peace and trust.
so, my friends, here you go. a little late, but better late than never. i hope you listen with your heart, and i hope that you look around with soul. there is so much out there to teach us about how to create the life that we want. how to live a life that fills our soul + then radiates that peace + love to others from our souls.
what we say matters. how we say it matters even more. whether we approach life with positivity or negativity determines much of what we receive back. and, how we treat others makes all of the difference in the world. if others are completely unlike us, then there is no need to be afraid, my dears. there is only the need for us to dig into our hearts + find the courage to open to learning something new.
change is slow, but it is certain and it is beautiful. so, do not give up. look at the trees + the birds. simply be true to yourself and let your unique gifts of who you are swirl around and become of the part of the cycle of life. you never know how much the beauty of you simply being you just might mean everything to someone else.
love to you all. xoxo. liz.
here is the link to this month’s playlist →→→ october // wisdom
Song for the Fall – Joseph Edgar
Live And Die – The Avett Brothers
Patience – Shovels & Rope, The Milk Carton Kids
No Shortcuts – Heather Maloney, Darlingside
True Sadness – The Avett Brothers
Forever Young – From NBC’s Parenthood – Rhiannon Giddens, Iron & Wine
Life’s for the Living – Passenger
Until The Last Light Fades – Mandolin Orange
Falling, Catching – Agnes Obel
The King Of All Birds – Aoife O’Donovan
The River Will – The Lowest Pair
Even The Darkness Has Arms – The Barr Brothers
Shining in the Distance – The Stray Birds
Ionia – Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys
Everything Changed – Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys
Kingdom Of Your Own – Matthew And The Atlas
Troubles Will Be Gone – The Tallest Man On Earth
Dearly Departed (feat. Esmé Patterson) – Shakey Graves
black & blue – Gregory Alan Isakov
Even The Darkness Has Arms – The Barr Brothers
Long Time Traveller – The Wailin’ Jennys
Dark Autumn Hour – Frontier Ruckus
