One day at a time
Bringing more life into your life.
I came home to London on New Year’s Day after spending the Christmas period between parents and parents-in-law, and the first thing that struck me was how quiet it was.
Just after lunch I took a short walk. The pavement was empty. The road was clear of traffic. I passed a robin, singing on a dripping branch, clear as bells without the hum of engines to compete with.
The next morning it was still dark when the song thrush began calling. It’s been a while since it kicked off the dawn chorus from the trees outside our bedroom window, but it must have decided it would start 2024 back in one of its favourite places.
I lay in bed for a while before even thinking about getting up, listening to the thrush’s rise and fall.
It’s easy for modern life to get in the way of this kind of stuff. To focus on getting to that place or delivering that project or buying that thing instead of stopping to pay attention to the real life happening all around us.
But a new year, a new leaf, so in 2024 take the opportunity to notice more nature and bring some real life back into your day.
I’m not normally one for resolutions I will immediately fail like “go to the gym every day” (I’ve already failed that one and it’s only the first week) so here are a few words I’ll try and keep in mind each day, just to keep me grounded.
Walk more.
Walk without your phone.
Sit more.
Sit without your phone.
Learn to identify a bird by its song.
Learn to identify a tree by its leaf.
Stop buying stuff you don’t need.
Cancel a subscription. You don’t watch Apple TV+ anyway.
Donate that money to a wildlife charity instead.
Pick up some litter on your street.
Repair something instead of throwing it away.
Delete your social media accounts.
Go outside.
Go outside.
Go outside.
2024 is going to be an interesting one. Will it be without its difficulties? Of course not. Will we remember to take a breath, pause, and listen to the song thrush each morning? It wouldn’t be worth it if we didn’t.
Life can be overwhelming. The environmental challenges we face can be overwhelming. But we can’t tackle them if we’re not paying attention to why we’re tackling them.
So let’s reset, clear our minds, and take some time to notice the living, breathing world around us.
One day at a time.
