Something good is going to happen today, and I am going to notice it and appreciate it. That was my mantra as I traveled to the Wetland Initiative’s Dixon Waterfowl Refuge in north central Illinois. My goal was to witness the smallest and most fleeting or inconsequential thing that brings me a sense of well-being. I was going tiny and questioning the need to see birds like eagles and sandhill cranes to consider a trip worthwhile. An insect on a flower, a dried seed pod, the ripples in the creekbed, or the sound of the wind should be enough.
I post my daily gratitude journal on Facebook every day. Three things, usually small, sometimes huge things I notice and appreciate. I started the journal because I found myself sinking into depression. Your newsletter is something I am grateful for and look forward to. Your thoughts are deep, your photos wonderful, your writing full of grace. Thank you so much.
A deep bow of gratitude to you for these wise musings. As I continue on this earth walk, I learn how much there is to gain from the simple delights around me. Holding space for the rebalancing of any health concerns you’re facing.
Your photographs are exquisite, especially the hummingbird series. The beauty of this place really comes through in your writing. I don't believe evolution has left us with a tendency toward negativity. I think it's pounded into us for our entire lives and therefore seems to be hardwired. Either way, it's not easy to resist. Thanks for sharing your efforts toward positivity and gratitude.
I’m so glad I read this, this morning. Thanks for the beautiful reminders to return to the small and the reminder of Tara Brach. I started listening to her and then got distracted. I now plan to return. I wrote about enoughness and lessons from the garden a few weeks ago. I think you might like it. https://pocketfulofprose.substack.com/p/enough-is-enough Also, if you like you tube cat videos, you might like this. https://m.youtube.com/shorts/ptOcZ0kUSds This is the main visitor to my bubbler- she belongs to a neighbor. So far, there seems to be peaceful coexistence with the birds.
I just ‘liked’ this piece because that’s the tool available but it’s a ridiculous response to something this beautiful and relevant. I’ve only just discovered substack and started following this blog, and am so inspired by it. Thankyou so much for your words and photographs, they enrich my world x
Thank you for this post! I am new to Substack, and am looking forward to connecting with a community of nature enthusiasts. I have also struggled with the social media drive to *gain visibility* - I’m more interested in finding community :). I am located on a homestead in Downeast Maine, and enjoy nature photography with a focus on capturing moments of connection in nature and everyday life. I find that life is full of tiny moments waiting for discovery - even in all the places that we see right around us every day! I am planning to launch a free, weekly Substack at the end of October, sharing the back-stories of the moments-of-connection that I feature in my photography gallery. I hope that people will relate to the images and the stories, will be reminded of their own similar nature connections, and will be further inspired to notice moments of connection in the everyday world around them! I hope you'll consider visiting my Substack, and I look forward to reading more of your thoughtful newsletters. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Bill, wonderful photos and reflections, and very much looking forward to following your Substack! It's sad that many of the country's wetlands lost protection this year because of Sackett v. EPA, but thankful for the people bringing attention to their importance.
Every word of this one resonates with me. Waking up every day and deciding to live inside a consciousness that delights in small everyday wonders is to be fully human. Fully alive. You will always be ok, Bill. Thank you for sharing this work.
I love seeing what's happening in land conservation in northern IL. I grew up down the road in Oregon, Illinois, but now live in the Piedmont of North Carolina. What a small world it is!
Thank you for writing this thought-provoking piece. Glad to have just discovered your Substack. The following analogy is particularly spot-on and appreciated:
“Focusing on gratitude requires real effort. It is like driving down a rutted dirt road. You try to keep your tires on the high ground, but they quickly fall back into the ruts. The slick mud and deep ruts conspire to pull you in. Fortunately, the more time you spend on the high ground, the easier it gets to stay there.”
It also resonates with my long-term efforts to allow and to nudge us all to discover and intentionally develop our respective mindsets of abundance, of which gratitude is an essential component. This is a core building block for nurturing the community / space I happen to be growing and writing about in my blog. Anyone interested is welcome to be an integral part: the intentional outlined process would work best with those who are dedicated to see the progress through.
I post my daily gratitude journal on Facebook every day. Three things, usually small, sometimes huge things I notice and appreciate. I started the journal because I found myself sinking into depression. Your newsletter is something I am grateful for and look forward to. Your thoughts are deep, your photos wonderful, your writing full of grace. Thank you so much.
A deep bow of gratitude to you for these wise musings. As I continue on this earth walk, I learn how much there is to gain from the simple delights around me. Holding space for the rebalancing of any health concerns you’re facing.
Your photographs are exquisite, especially the hummingbird series. The beauty of this place really comes through in your writing. I don't believe evolution has left us with a tendency toward negativity. I think it's pounded into us for our entire lives and therefore seems to be hardwired. Either way, it's not easy to resist. Thanks for sharing your efforts toward positivity and gratitude.
I’m so glad I read this, this morning. Thanks for the beautiful reminders to return to the small and the reminder of Tara Brach. I started listening to her and then got distracted. I now plan to return. I wrote about enoughness and lessons from the garden a few weeks ago. I think you might like it. https://pocketfulofprose.substack.com/p/enough-is-enough Also, if you like you tube cat videos, you might like this. https://m.youtube.com/shorts/ptOcZ0kUSds This is the main visitor to my bubbler- she belongs to a neighbor. So far, there seems to be peaceful coexistence with the birds.
I just ‘liked’ this piece because that’s the tool available but it’s a ridiculous response to something this beautiful and relevant. I’ve only just discovered substack and started following this blog, and am so inspired by it. Thankyou so much for your words and photographs, they enrich my world x
Thank you for this post! I am new to Substack, and am looking forward to connecting with a community of nature enthusiasts. I have also struggled with the social media drive to *gain visibility* - I’m more interested in finding community :). I am located on a homestead in Downeast Maine, and enjoy nature photography with a focus on capturing moments of connection in nature and everyday life. I find that life is full of tiny moments waiting for discovery - even in all the places that we see right around us every day! I am planning to launch a free, weekly Substack at the end of October, sharing the back-stories of the moments-of-connection that I feature in my photography gallery. I hope that people will relate to the images and the stories, will be reminded of their own similar nature connections, and will be further inspired to notice moments of connection in the everyday world around them! I hope you'll consider visiting my Substack, and I look forward to reading more of your thoughtful newsletters. Thanks for sharing!
Every word of this piece rings true in my heart. Thank you for this gift. It is so beautiful and wise.
Thank you Bill for your thoughts. They always inspire me.
Also, I think you would like this. She speaks about offering witness and attention to nature as a form of reciprocity so we don’t turn being in nature into another form of selfish consumption. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-one-you-feed/id792555885?i=1000622331714
A beautiful piece, thank you. It’s just what I needed this morning.
Bill, it seems you found many things to exalt your happiness...mine too. Thank you.
Thanks Bill, wonderful photos and reflections, and very much looking forward to following your Substack! It's sad that many of the country's wetlands lost protection this year because of Sackett v. EPA, but thankful for the people bringing attention to their importance.
Every word of this one resonates with me. Waking up every day and deciding to live inside a consciousness that delights in small everyday wonders is to be fully human. Fully alive. You will always be ok, Bill. Thank you for sharing this work.
I love seeing what's happening in land conservation in northern IL. I grew up down the road in Oregon, Illinois, but now live in the Piedmont of North Carolina. What a small world it is!
Thank you for writing this thought-provoking piece. Glad to have just discovered your Substack. The following analogy is particularly spot-on and appreciated:
“Focusing on gratitude requires real effort. It is like driving down a rutted dirt road. You try to keep your tires on the high ground, but they quickly fall back into the ruts. The slick mud and deep ruts conspire to pull you in. Fortunately, the more time you spend on the high ground, the easier it gets to stay there.”
It also resonates with my long-term efforts to allow and to nudge us all to discover and intentionally develop our respective mindsets of abundance, of which gratitude is an essential component. This is a core building block for nurturing the community / space I happen to be growing and writing about in my blog. Anyone interested is welcome to be an integral part: the intentional outlined process would work best with those who are dedicated to see the progress through.