PROJECT NATURECONNECT
Institute of Global Education
Greenwich University
Portland State University
Introductory Course
ECO 501 Educating and Counseling With Nature
"Our life is what our thoughts make it." -Marcus Aurelius
Chapter 22
Trusting Process:I guess I am word addicted. I felt mislead because he did not keep his promise, so I did not trust him next time he said he would do something. Until I found other aspects of him I could trust, our friendship ceased.
My brother and I went back to visit the part of the city where we were born and raised 60 years ago. Fortunately, the people who now rented our old apartment let us wander through it, and although it had been remodeled, the feelings certain rooms brought on were as strong and real as if they had happened yesterday.
When I entered my room I expected it to be dark with sunlight coming in from one end of the room through its only window. It faced South and overlooked a willow tree in a yard. The window, sunlight and tree is all I remember of it. That shining light and the view burned a place in my memory that I trust will always be there. It was a mental escape route to something wonderful, the natural world. In retrospect, the emotional faith I placed in those feelings guided me towards nature minute by minute. Whenever a decision had to be made about anything, the choice I made would usually bring me a trifle closer to getting outdoors more often. When I visited my room again, I became aware of the trust I had in that window and willow and how it has remained throughout the years as a trustable supportive part of the world and myself. The window is like the train ticket held by a farmer who daily watched the train roll by his fields and decided that one day he would love to ride a train. He saved his money and finally bought a round trip ticket to as far as it would take him. On the train a preacher type started asking him about his religion and belief in God The farmer confessed to being an atheist and not concerned with religion, and please don't bother him. Aggravated, the preacher replied, "Do you realize that you are a sinner? Do you know where you are going? You are going to Hell!" In trust the farmer replied, "Don't give a damn, I got a round trip ticket."Trust: Go to an attractive natural area and thankfully gain its consent to help you determine how much you trust thinking with nature. With its consent, see how close you can to get to attractions in this area. What wrangler stories, if any, stop you from getting closer. What prevents you from trusting the love of Nature you discover through these activities?
Think about how much do you trust the existence and powers of NIAL,
The material and the nonmaterial world of nature being your "subconscious mind,"
The natural world consisting entirely of NIAL.
Our society being at war with nature.
Nature, Us, NIAL and your "inner child" being identical.
Try to identify where you feel reconnecting with nature is not trustable.
Write a short statement explaining why you might want to trust and continue to use this process or parts of it.
Each time you find your trust is weaker than you would like it to be, with the consent of that area, bring a friend to that place and teach him or her to do some of these activities that most attract you. Does your trust and comfort increase?You may sensibly demand of your new brain that your reasoning and language senses learn to trust the attractions, senses and feelings that you obtain from your nature experiences. It is reasonable for you to expect your new brain to trust them because your natural sensations and feelings, including those in the new brain, are facts of life. They are as real as sunshine, water, air and soil because they are part of them. Use the activities to give you experiences that support and strengthen your trust. Then NIAL may become your round trip ticket.
CWN Connectors that add experiences to this chapter: #102 #103
Write down the three most important things you learned from this chapter and activity.
Write down three G/G statements.
How would you feel having your ability to experience this G/G taken away?
Does this activity enhance your sense of self-worth? your trustfulness of NIAL?
Which wrangler/person, if any, does this activity identify or reeducate inside or outside you?
Share at least one sentence/person that conveys how hearing their experience has enhanced yours.
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