Thinking Like Nature — Profound yet Practical

Thinking Like Nature — Profound yet Practical

During our recent online workshop series, we talked about the many benefits of Thinking Like Nature. Part of it comes from recognizing, then letting go of, the damaging triggers and traps of the Conventional Paradigm. The other part comes from re-discovering the profound yet practical insights and behaviors that arise from your Natural Paradigm.

In the series, we discovered a range of strategies found in Nature for being less busy, being less stressed, and being happy with less. We explored pythons and hummingbirds, leaves and nutcrackers, lichen and aquaporins. I was amazed at the insights that emerged.

One of the participants later told me that she put what she learned in the workshop to practical use during a recent overseas trip. 

She’s a self-proclaimed planner, and gets stressed when things don’t go to plan, so she had a lot of anxiety over the upcoming trip. With good reason, it turned out, as the first flight was delayed and delayed and then finally canceled, meaning they’d miss their international flight and all follow-up ground transport.

As she felt her stress levels rise, she recalled how camels store fat in their hump and have numerous strategies for conserving water that allow them to go for days without eating or drinking. With that in mind, she recognized that she had the resources needed to make backup plans, and could wait it out if need be. She also recognized that it was important to conserve her energy, not use it up panicking or getting angry at counter agents or her partner. This was just an inconvenience, not a catastrophe.

She also thought about how kelp keep themselves intact in rough waters by being tough and well-rooted, and also by going with the flow. She visualized and tapped into her own inner strength and external support systems, and then let things just flow. 

In the end, by Thinking Like Nature she managed to get different flights, save her long-awaited vacation, and — more importantly — maintain her sanity, dignity, and kindness to others (others did not fare so well). Upon reflecting, she realized that she always has these strategies available to her. By tapping into her Natural Paradigm she can let go of some of her automatic anxiety and be a better and happier self.

How might you benefit by Thinking Like Nature?

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