Daily Nourishment for The First Wednesday of Advent: A World of Different Creatures
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 50 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 13-15 minutes
“While appreciating the beauty of the island, she noticed a small sea snail crawling back into its shell and thought, ‘I don't have to be lonely with a world of different creatures to be explored.’” - The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other
Pause.
Take three deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale. Then take a few minutes to sit by a window or sit outside.
Prompt.
“In one large study, researchers used smartphones to collect data from more than 20,000 people in real time comparing how they felt at different points during their day and using GPS to determine where they were.
The researchers found that, overall, people felt happier when they were outdoors in green or natural spaces compared to urban spaces, regardless of the weather, activity, or who was with them. Another study surveyed people living in Puget Sound, Washington, and found that they were more satisfied with life if they engaged with nature more.” - “Four Ways Nature Can Protect Your Well-Being During a Pandemic”
Practice.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and begin writing a true (or mostly true or sort of true) story about a person who experiences some sort of transformation when they go outside and engage with nature.
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Want to make it Advent?
Set a timer for 10 minutes and begin writing a true (or mostly true or sort of true) story about a person who experiences some sort of transformation when they go outside and engage with nature during the first week of Advent. Do some quick research on a particular place and the weather there this week. Find an outdoor setting to use in your writing or as inspiration for a place in your piece. A Christmas tree farm? A Christmas lights walking tour? A blow-up nativity display in a suburban front yard?
Want More?
Here’s Forty Ways to Feel Less Lonely During the Holidays (or Any Time). And here’s a conversation with some of the Lonely Stories contributors.
And here’s a lovely children’s book, Ten Ways to Hear Snow.
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Upcoming Workshops & Gatherings
—Advent Resources: Throughout Advent, I’ll include a new resource each day. For today, here’s an Advent booklet from Saint Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Durham, NC.
Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.
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