There’s nothing like snuggling up indoors with a good book while the rain falls gently outside. It turns out such idyllic images actually exist. While experiencing that joy recently, I got to thinking about how much we can learn from nature.

Seasons

It’s amazing how many aspects of nature work in cycles. After night comes day. After winter comes spring. Even though we should understand this, we still have a tendency to freak out over things like a recession, even though they’ve happened before and will happen again. Accept the darkness because without it there would be no light.

Harvest

Nothing in life happens instantly. It’s like Stephen Covey often jokes about how you can’t neglect sowing wheat all summer and then “hit it hard” in the fall. You’ve got to put in early and consistent effort if you want to reap the rewards. You’ve got to stock up for the winter if you want to see yourself through hard times.

Roots

Living with no sense of grounding is like being a leaf completely subject to whatever the random winds are blowing about. Instead, we should strive to be more like trees. After taking a trip back to the house where I grew up, I was amazed to see a tree my dad planted over twenty years ago still standing firm. Even though so much around it had changed, it was still there.

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One of our family friends recently had a baby boy. Getting to meet him for the first time last weekend really got me thinking about how much we have to learn from children. They live their lives a certain way and I think in some sense we should do the same:

Everything is new

Isn’t it amazing how children find even the simplest experiences completely amazing? I’ve seen toddlers completely mesmerised from chasing each other between two pillars at a shopping mall or jumping off a step, climbing back up, and doing it again. The smallest things in life can be really fun. While I’m not suggesting we put everything we come across right into our mouths, we shouldn’t depend on every little gadget or gizmo to make us happy.

Live in the moment

The concept of time is something a lot of young people don’t quite grasp. And I think that’s great. While sometimes it might be necessary for parents to teach that actions now have consequences later (like how spending all their pocket money might mean not getting to buy themselves a new toy) but there’s definitely value in only caring about what’s happening right here, right now. The past is gone and the future isn’t here. Appreciating the present is priceless.

Express your emotions

One other thing children are good at doing is letting their feelings out. Yes, there are the occasional sulks and pouts, but mostly it’s a case of laughing when they’re happy and crying when they’re sad. As we grow older, we find that we constantly need to keep our thoughts and feelings bottled up inside. At times it might be necessary to exercise a little restraint, but I definitely believe that learning to fully express whatever it is you’re going through does far less harm and far more good.

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“Life is too short for traffic.” – Dan Bellack

Isn’t it amazing how inspiration can find you anywhere? My latest bout came while I was walking to the gym. It made me wonder this: what road sign are you?

No Stopping

Are you the kind of person who races through life without ever taking the time to slow down and reflect? Are you the kind of person who feels guilty at doing nothing? If you are, it’s only a matter of time before you find yourself completely out of gas. “No Parking” people are similar although not quite as extreme. Regardless of which of these you are, you’ve got to take time out to relax and stretch your legs before getting back on the road.

No Overtaking

Are you the kind of person who always puts the needs of other people first? There’s nothing wrong with being altruistic provided it doesn’t constantly do you harm. Much like people who constantly find themselves obliged to “Yield”, never considering your own needs is not very smart. You deserve good things in life and that sometimes you have to step up and take them. Nobody will be doing it for you, especially if you’re too busy doing it for them.

No U-Turn

Are you the kind of person who feels that there’s no turning back? Just because you’ve been doing something for a while and feel committed to following through, doesn’t mean you have to. Sometimes you’ve got to realise that it might be better to cut your losses and call it quits, whether that be in your personal or professional life. Take the road less travelled because the last thing you want is to wind up on a one-way street to a dead-end. Nothing is stopping you from starting over again and choosing a journey you actually want to take.

(To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)