Woodland-Pond

Woodland Pond

As you look at this photo, what do you see?  It is a woodland pond in a forest, and depending on the habitat, it could be anywhere.  Their size can vary greatly depending on the amount of open water they contain.  They are very rich in birdlife and teaming with food.  If you sit still for a couple of hours, you can see a variety of Moose, White-tailed Deer, otter, mink, and waterfowl.  The peacefulness they contain is priceless and well worth your time to enjoy and sit quietly by yourself or with a friend.

But what can they teach us?  Being an educator, much of what I look at relates to kids and adults.  All of us, kids mainly, are busy doing things, listening to something, talking, texting, moving about getting this done with the busyness of life.  Whether you have access to a woodland pond or just a photo, teach your kids to sit quietly without any distractions.  Unplug silent phones and take time for them.  We all get so busy with life that we easily forget the power of silence.  Kids particularly seem not to know the value of silence.

They want things to happen quickly, or they want a solution.  So they ask a friend or look something up on the internet.  But what if the answer can only come from you, from your thoughts and psyche?  Then what?  If we don’t develop the skill of consulting ourselves when we don’t need anything in particular, how can we find an answer that can only come from us when we need it?

When an area such as the photo above encounters logging and fire, they are devastated, but they quickly recover.  An entirely new habitat regenerates, and the birds and various animals enjoy the completed new open space.  I have studied several lands damaged by fire.  The first plants to come back actually have seeds that are encouraged by fire.  As the forest replaces itself, it goes through many cycles and changes. They are eventually looking once again like the photo above.

In our lives, when we encounter devastation, loss, or those things in life that we can’t explain, we need to be more like the woodland pond.  Go first to those things that are readily available to get yourself started.  Rather than concentrating on the loss, think instead of the new routines that it will create, the different ways you will have to use your imagination.  Some birds prefer the open spaces, the immature forest as it recovers.

Take time to find out your answers, even if you don’t know the questions, by taking some time for peace, preferably in the forest; if not, get a good photo, close your eyes, and accept what comes into your being.

Another part of silence is when to choose to respond or not.  Your next step is to understand this skill by clicking here, Respond or Not – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

Life Hack has a post on 6 Significant Changes you can make to your life, click here, 6 significant changes you can do to refresh your life and routine. (lifehack.org)

Enjoy the peace and connections of the Woodland Pond,

Rich