Instructions For Living a Life

Today is the 82nd birthday of one of my favourite authors, Mary Oliver. Mary writes about the beauty of the natural world and the importance for us to take notice. She writes: “Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

Such simple advice! And wise. I certainly felt astonished while hiking on the gorgeously verdant trail you see above. This past spring I enjoyed a short weekend holiday in my favourite place on earth, Tofino. On a crisp, drippy Sunday I found The Rainforest Trail midway between Tofino and Ucluelet and decided to take a hike. What I found was a lush, fragrant oasis hidden alongside the ocean. The trail is actually a series of raised red cedar paths that wind their way through the forest. All my senses were engaged immediately. I could smell the salty freshness of the ocean mingled with the earthy smell of wet ground and wood. My eyes took in the luminous foliage that wraps you in a shocking blanket of green. I could hear the waves crashing as the Pacific rolled just metres away. I could feel the ancient energy that surrounded me and I could taste the salty air. I was in a perpetual state of awe.

Studies actually show that this is good for you! There is a name for such an experience: an awe walk. I learned about this phenomenon this week in a post shared by a friend. Already a true believer, I read this piece with interest and much of it I could heartily endorse. In “This 3-Letter Word Will Make You Live Longer And Happier” by Inc. Magazine the author, Marcel Schwantes, shares that studies have proven that the simple act of taking a walk and giving yourself the time and the right to breathe deeply and reflect on your surroundings will encourage a state of awe.

In this hectic world we live in, with competing priorities, deep worries, and endless deadlines, we could all use a little awe, couldn’t we? We’ve earned it! Of course we are not all as fortunate as I was on this day to walk on a rainforest trail by the ocean,  but surely we can find some time during each day to walk, breathe and reflect. Or as our birthday girl, Mary says: “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”