Valuing the Journey, Not Just the Destination
I stood on the trail alone, holding my camera and scanning the trees, listening carefully. I could hear birds in the distance, a crow calling sharply, a titmouse’s high-pitched peeps. But I heard nothing closer; saw no birds in the branches and bushes around me. I savored the time outside but I could feel just the hint of frustration start to bubble up; it had taken all day for me to make it out for a walk and now here I was, ready to photograph birds and none were to be found.
I think we can all agree we live in a goal-oriented world. From career aspirations to personal milestones to weekly workouts to daily tasks, we often find ourselves striving toward the next achievement, measuring our success by our progress toward our objectives. While setting goals provides direction and motivation, sometimes their pursuit can overshadow the journey. My time in nature regularly reminds me that the journey is sometimes more important than the goal.
Standing on that trail, looking for the birds, feeling the clock ticking as my available time wound down, disappointment began to settle in. I scanned the trees, hoping for even a glimpse of a feathered friend, but the branches remained empty. The silence, usually filled with the sweet calls of birds, stretched on, taunting me. Like, did they purposefully clam up and hide away as soon as they saw me?! Just as the frustration welled up, I took a deep breath and realized something remarkable.
In the absence of birds, I started noticing the sounds of the forest around me. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves and softly touched my cheeks. A nearby stream gurgled merrily, its clear water reflecting the dappled sunlight. The air held the sweet scent of melting snow and damp earth. I felt the sun’s warmth on my skin, a gentle contrast to the crisp morning air.
Suddenly, my camera, with its heavy telephoto lens, felt cumbersome. It felt like a barrier separating me from the beauty unfolding around me. In that moment, I let go of the disappointment and my original goal and instead embraced the opportunity in front of me. I stood on the trail awhile longer, breathing deeply, engaging all my senses to soak in that moment. Then I walked back to the car to trade my birding lens for a macro lens and the world transformed. I focused on the tiny details – the intricate veins of a dried leaf, the soft fuzz of a seed pod, the tiny whiskers on a weedy dried stalk. The sun was dropping lower, bathing the plants in golden light, so I dropped lower to the ground to capture the textures and details in the warm glow and soft shadows.
This experience was a powerful reminder that sometimes the most transformative moments are unplanned. Nature holds the potential to replenish our spirits and reground us, not only from our time in nature (and perhaps our goals for that time) but also through the unexpected joy of simply existing amidst its beauty and mystery. We can become so fixated on the end result that we miss the richness of the journey itself. And sometimes that journey is just a moment of being, pure being and not doing, even if just for a moment.
This is one reason why I enjoy nature photography so much, it helps me slow down and really see what is around me. And not just seeing what is around me but seeing it in a new way. I feel a sense of discovery when I see a tiny plant up close or a bird in flight or a deer paused on a hill at dusk or a beautiful landscape painted with the colors of a sunset, like I am touching a mystery that fills me with wonder. We all need a little more wonder, even awe, in our lives and I am grateful when I can connect with those feelings. In future posts, we’ll explore how wonder and awe can rejuvenate us, the science behind it, and strategies for connecting to these profound feelings in nature. For now, it’s enough just to marvel at the possibilities.
I became completely absorbed in what I was doing, seeing the dried winter vegetation in a new way. I felt a sense of peace and contentment wash over me. The disappointment of not seeing birds had vanished. In its place was a sense of deep connection, a quiet appreciation for the simple beauty of nature. This unexpected detour, this “failure” to achieve my initial goal, had led me to a deeper and more profound experience – in the midst of dead weeds on the edge of a parking lot.
I hope that the next time you find yourself in nature, you can set aside your expectations and, instead, simply be present. Take a deep breath, smell what is in the air, listen to the sounds around you, look at the view and search for the tiny details, feel the sun on your skin and the tickle of the breeze on the back of your neck, and soak it all in. Use all your senses to immerse yourself in that moment. It can be deeply fulfilling when we accept the gifts nature offers us – a chance to reconnect with the natural world, to find joy in the present moment, and to discover the wonder in the unplanned. Sometimes, the most valuable journeys are the ones that lead us away from the destination we thought we wanted, and towards a deeper connection with the world around us and, perhaps, with ourselves.
Let’s connect!
I would love to hear about a time you had to set aside your original goal to enjoy an unexpected journey in nature. How do you help yourself let go of ‘doing’ and enjoy a moment of ‘being’? Please share so we can learn from each other! Comment below or visit the From Flora to Fauna Facebook page and share your thoughts (and photos!) there.
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