Favorite Inspirational Quotes

There is no quiet place in [your] cities, no place to hear the leaves of spring or the rustle of insect wings. … The Indians prefer the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of the pond, the smell of the wind itself cleansed by a midday rain, or scented with pinon pine. The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath - the animals, the trees, the man. Like a man who has been dying for many days, a man in your city is numb to the stench.

Chief Seattle

Dyer calls his essay on this quote “Reverence for Nature” and sites several more Native American passages. Essentially the gist is that by living in cities we have lost touch with Nature or the “Big Holy”. As someone who personally has a very hard time in cities, I have to agree in generality.

Where I live, I can very much see and feel the changing of the seasons. I must be very aware of the weather. Most people in cities watch the weather report to decide what best to wear and maybe if they need to leave a little earlier to get to work.

We watch because the weather can affect what happens in a day. For instance, we just might have rain. No big deal you say. For us, that affects the vehicles used to get in and out. Too much rain and even four wheel drive can’t cope. It can even affect the days we decide to run errands.

Once it starts freezing, that affects how we water the livestock. With the changing of the season, the grazing for the livestock is going which means we will soon have to begin giving hay. Even now, I need to have more hauled in before the bad weather gets here.

However, cities are not all bad. Although it may be easier to get back in touch with Nature, and yourself, while away from cities and towns, there are some cities with great energy. Surprisingly, to me at least, I think Las Vegas is one such city. It is not an energy I personally could handle for more than a week or two, but I can fully understand how many people can love living there.

I think it is more that we must be mindful that regardless of where we live, that we are all one…all part of the Universe as a whole. If everything is energy, part of a unified field, then we each touch everything…we all share the same breath.