Nature

Nature. Natural. I think there is a good reason why these two words are connected. When I am in nature, I feel so natural, like I am suppose to be here. I am suppose to feel the grass under my feet, the breeze tumbling gently off the trees around me, and the aroma of the many bushes that are beckoning for my attention. It's amazing, nature, that is, it's free from all the bias and attempts to make beauty, it's free from the human alterations and "improvements", it's free from all of that - and I think just being in it gives me a little of that freedom. It's so magnificent, it really is, the best man-made structures fall short of natures wonder. I just stumbled upon a quote by the great John Muir, “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” - John Muir. Man, that guy really knew what he was talking about. Being able to harness the energy that nature offers, what peace and tranquility it can bring. It's even more than that; strength, wisdom, understanding - I think you can gain all of this from nature. The trick is being able to see it, to appreciate it. The more I have grown to appreciate nature, the more I have grown. I find myself at home there, I'm comfortable... I feel natural.

The Mind of Maslow

Maslow harped on one thing in particular that stuck out to me. Self - Actualization.

"Self Actualization is the intrinsic growth of what is already in the organism, or more accurately, of what the organism is." -Abraham Maslow
Self - Actualization is another way of saying, finding and reaching your fullest potential. Maslow says there are two processes necessary for self-actualization: self exploration and action. The deeper the self-exploration, the closer one comes to self-actualization.
He says there are 8 ways to self-actualize.

Experience things fully, vividly, selflessly. Throw yourself into the experiencing of something: concentrate on it fully, let it totally absorb you.

Life is an ongoing process of choosing between safety (out of fear and need for defense) and risk (for the sake of progress and growth): Make the growth choice a dozen times a day.

Let the self emerge. Try to shut out the external clues as to what you should think, feel, say, and so on, and let your experience enable you to say what you truly feel.

When in doubt, be honest. If you look into yourself and are honest, you will also take responsibility. Taking responsibility is self-actualizing.

Listen to your own tastes. Be prepared to be unpopular.

Use your intelligence, work to do well the things you want to do, no matter how insignificant they seem to be.

Make peak experiencing more likely: get rid of illusions and false notions. Learn what you are good at and what your potentialities are not.

Find out who you are, what you are, what you like and don't like, what is good and what is bad for you, where you are going, what your mission is. Opening yourself up to yourself in this way means identifying defenses--and then finding the courage to give them up.

Just a great theory, and I thought I would share :).