Christy Ann Martine Quote on Environment and How Nature Brings Out The Best In Us

“When your world moves too fast and you lose yourself in the chaos, introduce yourself to each color of the sunset. Reacquaint yourself with the earth beneath your feet. Thank the air that surrounds you with every breath you take. Find yourself in the appreciation of life.”

Christy Ann Martine

Beyond the Quote (200/365)

Out on a hike the other day, I crossed paths with a youthful, older couple who was in search of the same landmarks as I was. We shared the hiking path for a while and struck up a conversation about all of the best hiking spots we’ve experienced. We started by pointing out the amazing diversity of trails right in Western New York, then talked about spots in Pennsylvania, then steered the conversation towards “must-do” hikes out in Tennessee. You could feel the joy that the outdoors had brought them over the years and the beautiful memories that came with their outdoor experiences.

At one point in our conversation the older gentlemen pointed out that he had always met the nicest people while hiking and couldn’t clearly recall a time when he had ever crossed paths with somebody who was angry, mean, or upset. And after further reflection, I realized that neither could I. I couldn’t clearly recall a time when I ever ran into somebody on a hike who was rude, obnoxious, or ill-mannered. Why was that? And the answer became pretty clear—nature brings out the best in us. How could it not?

When I think about the things that might upset me, frustrate me, or anger me, I find that most (if not all) of those things stem from life that’s lived outside of nature. I find myself getting stressed out when it’s a work day because I’m constantly trying to finish a “to-do” list that never finishes. When in nature, however, there’s nothing “to-do” except to explore and wander—showing up is the only task that needs to be completed.

I find myself getting upset when I compare my life to the “highlight reels” of everybody else’s lives that is portrayed on social media or through big media showcases that antagonize, belittle, and/ or portray a life that’s “better” than the one you’re living. In nature, there’s none of that (or at least hopefully none of that)—there’s no social media, advertisements, TVs, iPads, Billboards, wi-fi, etc. It’s just you. It’s the natural scenery. And it’s the liberating feeling of being free of demands, expectations, and additional stimulation. It’s where you go to settle what’s already been thrown at you—nothing else gets added.

Even when I find myself getting angry, it’s usually as a result of something above or something somebody else did who was reacting to those same “stressful” and “upsetting” conditions I laid out above. It’s usually somebody who was stressed out and took it out on me, or someone who was in a bad state of mind from the images that were burned into their brain from all of the media they were consuming and acted inappropriately. Life in the city can be crazy, fast-paced, and very demanding—and it can certainly bring out the worst in us. Time in nature feels to me to be the opposite and, appropriately so, seems to have the opposite affect.

This is why Central Park in New York City holds such a special place in so many people’s hearts—it’s an escape from the madness of the city. It gives people that place to rebalance and recharge from the busyness of the city world. And, moreover, it’s precisely because NYC is the busiest city in the world that having a natural place of escape is proportionally so highly valued. A city without access to nature would drive people mad—quite literally. This is why we get that stir-crazy feeling when we are cooped up in our concrete blocks that we call homes for too long—we need to get back into nature to free ourselves from the confinement, concrete, and pressure.

This is all to say, spend more time in nature. It’s always a good idea. I can’t think of a single reason why it isn’t. I think it’s where you’ll find people in their optimal states and it’s where you can go to recharge in ways that you simply can’t recharge in your home. The environment you immerse yourself in is like the water the fish swims around in. Stay in a polluted, dirty, congested environment for too long and you will suffer. Immerse yourself in fresh, clean, free-flowing water and you will thrive. And if you can’t always go out to nature—bring more nature to you! Make your environment feel closer to nature and you will benefit—let it feel closer to concrete and you will hurt. The key is to be mindful of this “environmental effect” and to take it seriously—the effect is real.

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