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In my past life, I worked a corporate job in New York City where it seemed like everything was a constant rush.

I sprinted to the subway to not miss the next train. I hastily answered emails every spare moment of the day. And I frantically worked toward every deadline which somehow always seemed to get pushed up to an even more impossible date.

Everything was urgent. Yet no matter how much I hurried to get everything done, it always felt like I was coming up short.

Since abandoning the daily grind and moving to Ecuador, I’ve been learning so many incredible things about how to live a life with more flow and less hustle. A recent lesson was inspired by the shamanic and indigenous influences here.

These traditions have a strong connection to nature and teach that not only should we respect it, but that there is also much wisdom to be gained from it, if we pay attention.

I came across this quote the other day that encouraged me to seek new inspiration from nature.

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu

Animals, plants, and trees have incredible lessons to teach us. They don’t have timelines. They don’t have to-do lists. They don’t worry about whether they are getting things done fast enough. They just exist. Without rushing or worrying. And in that space they are able to accomplish exactly what they are here to do.

They do this by following their innate wisdom. A young bird knows exactly when it’s ready to leave the nest and fly. A flower knows the perfect moment for it to bloom. A baby sea turtle has a keen, intuitive feeling of when to make its march back to the sea.

In the hustle of life, it’s easy to forget that we too are nature. And just like the animals, plants, and trees we also have an inner wisdom. Our bodies and souls already know exactly what to do, what we need, and what timelines work best. We just have to quiet our minds and listen to what they are saying.

So take a moment to contemplate:

>> What are our bodies and souls trying to communicate to us? How would things be different for us if we listened?

>> What would it be like to honor our innate wisdom and work in a way that works for us instead of rushing to get everything done?

>> How much is hustling really helping us and what would it be like to approach work with more ease?

When we’re running around urgently trying to get it all done, we create unnecessary stress in our bodies which makes us more drained, and in turn, less productive.

The belief that to get it all done we have to rush, hurry, and hustle is just a mindset.

When we are able to reprogram that belief, we start to create more ease in our lives. And eventually, we may even get to a place where we’re able to work in a blissful and effortless way—just like our nature friends.

This is a deep truth that has completely resonated within my own life.

Since abandoning the nine-to-five, I’ve continued to realize how much wisdom my body holds. When I release my expectations of how I “should” be working and let my body show me the way, I’m always amazed at how much I am able to achieve.

It’s been a call to return to my true nature. And the more I embrace this way of being, the more I am able to accomplish—without sacrificing my health and happiness.