How to counter-program against the scarcity mindset

I found this a little trite at first, but…

My parents were recovering hippies. They dragged my brother and me on endless camping trips. And visits to musty health food stores. And they constantly played records by The Band and Creedence Clearwater. (OK, that last part was cool.)

Bottom line, they gave me a bit of a bad attitude about spending time in nature. (My mother says that I once told her that there were only two things I hated about hiking: going up and coming down.)

I have since improved my attitude about nature. In no small part because the evidence is overwhelming. Nature can confer a tantalizingly long list of psychological and physiological benefits, including improved mood, sleep, and immune function. 

In light of that evidence, I had a much more open mind when the bestselling writer and botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer described her daily, nature-based gratitude practice. She calls it a “gratitude inventory.” 

Here’s how to do it:

• Step outside at some point during the day. (If you can’t get outside, look out the window.)

• Take in a couple aspects of your natural surroundings. Sun, sky, trees, birds, etc. (Even in urban environments, there are aspects of nature.) 

• Send gratitude to each. Don’t worry if it feels forced at first. 

• Recall that without this abundance, you would not exist. That every part of you—from your pancreas to your most embarrassing thoughts—is a part of nature. Let that sink in. 

Robin is on my podcast today, talking about many ways to combat the scarcity mindset. Listen or watch for much more. 

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