The other day, while listening to a program on NPR, I heard something that reminded me of the powerful creativity and magic found in nature – which also finds itself in our own body-mind beings.  The story centered on the question, “Why doesn’t a hippopotamus get sunburned?  Given that hippopotami spend their lives just under the surface of water, in the hot African sun, it was an intriguing question.  The answer is that hippo’s generate their own antibiotic sunscreen.  It emerges on the surface of their skin, much like perspiration, but contains within it certain ingredients that protect them from sunburn.  The scientist giving the response also hypothesized that the naturally-occurring antibiotic is an adaptation to the fights hippos have that often generate serious injury.  As I listened to the story, I was reminded of the depth of creative energy and basic, physical resilience found in nature, and that got me to thinking about the psychological resilience I experience in people all the time.

The biggest piece of my response, though, was my awe at the ways in which nature adapts us to live in our world.  Species after species has developed adaptations that allow them to thrive, and we are no exception.  In fact, one of the sources of our resilience is our capacity to experience beauty and awe, and to have an appreciation of the world around us.  I was reminded of how nourished I am by the quality of awe and delight at discovering something about the creativity and wisdom in nature I haven’t known before. 

In moments of being moved by awe, we open a door to a larger picture of our world.  In these moments, we move out of our personal self and into a larger context, reminded that there is more going on in our world than we realize.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the daily drama of human life and challenges that we can forget that we are part of a much bigger picture.  Our concerns and difficulties are so compelling, that we can forget that a uncounted number of other life forms move through their challenges, adapting, discovering, learning whatever their life paths offer to them – and that all of us draw on an unconscious, unrecognized wisdom that is inherent in life itself. 

For this week’s experiment, I invite you to pay attention to the magic in nature – the nature all around you, as well as your own.  The next time you get a cut and it heals, notice that your body is constructed in such a way that it knows how to change a cut into healthy skin.  Also, notice the world around you and pay attention to the magic that’s everywhere.  For example, notice a bud that opens into a beautiful flower, a caterpillar that will become a butterfly or moth, or an industrious ant or bee at work.  Then, notice what it’s like if you take time to remember that these life forms all have their place in the larger pattern than is nature’s creative expression.

The invitation in this week’s experiment is to give yourself the gift of wonder and awe – to take a moment to notice that there is magic going on all around, that there is beauty everywhere, and that the intelligence of life, however you explain that to yourself, constantly offers resilient possibilities for adapting to challenging circumstances.  As you bring beauty and awe into the foreground of your awareness, notice how doing so affects your overall state of mind and being during the week. 

As always, remember, there’s no right or wrong way to do these experiments.  Each is an invitation to explore your world of awareness and to become more conscious of how you move through your life as the unique being you are.