A certain caution toward the human world has its benefits.

It is not that we should completely shut out all things man-made.

Technology and inventions can improve our lives but are not essential to being truly alive.  

Nature, security, nourishment and love—these are the things at the heart of the human experience. These are the things we need to make the most of the life we have been given. 

I see this most clearly in wild animals. A bird chirping in a tree. Jumping lightly from branch to branch. Always looking around. As I approach the bird it stays still. A moment of pause. Not fleeing, but not approaching. I like to think that in this moment the bird is having a true experience.

Looking at the world with eyes that are unattached. Seeing what is happening but not stepping forward into uncertainty and change. The trees, plants and all the earth already provide them with all they need.

So it is with us. If we lose ourselves in the world around us. A world that is increasingly alienating and detached from the natural world, we will inevitably feel the effects in our mental and physical well-being.

And so, with each new human invention we bring into our lives we must take a moment, like the bird, to observe and ask ourselves if this new thing is wise for us to engage with. 

If you find yourself already stuck, anxious and feeling alienated in the human world then the solution may be as simple as going outside and reconnecting with the earth, the very place we come from.

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Author & artist: Mike Medaglia

Editor: Khara-Jade Warren

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