Landscape Escape

I'm one of those lucky guys who has lots of hobbies to occupy my time and energy. I am an avid reader and collector of books (as well as tea and turtles). I love to travel and play my guitar. And I stay busy with my writing, videos, and music projects (not to mention this blog and my video site). But one of my favorite hobbies is landscaping. I like nothing better than to take an empty or weed-strewn chunk of land and turn it into a colorful, blooming masterpiece that enhances the natural scenery and makes me smile every time I wander through it.

I enjoy landscaping so much that I consider it therapeutic, one of my great escapes whenever I need some time away from the everyday challenges and all too often stresses of life.

LANDSCAPE ESCAPE



Besides being a terrific form of exercise, landscaping is a wonderful way to get back to nature, to roll up those sleeves and dig your hands into the earth. There’s nothing like working up a sweat with the sounds of birds or squirrels singing and chirping away in the background.

Another thing that draws me to landscaping is the sense of accomplishment I feel when I (finally) complete a project. Life is a journey that should be enjoyed throughout each leg; the same can be said about landscaping. I like the fact that there’s a beginning, middle, and end, and while the finish line can seem a long way off at the outset of any project, the key is to enjoy every minute of the experience--I do this with landscaping, just as I try to do with all aspects of my life.

One thing I always talk about trying to achieve is the Triad of Balance, which is working on finding harmony between the Mind, Body, and Spirit, after first balancing each one on its own. Simply put: in order to lead the most fulfilling and purposeful life, I believe one has to work on the Mind, Body, and Spirit every day, and then balance all three together. If one of these is out of whack, then even though the other two are working fine, you are not complete, not in balance, and, therefore, not living your life to its fullest. Landscaping is one of those hobbies that helps me to stay balanced. My MIND is in constant motion, thinking and planning, focused on the tasks at hand and then executing and achieving. While my SPIRIT feels free as I dig up the dirt, plant flowers and trees, communing with nature. I also feel less stressful: when I am outside with a shovel in my hands I seldom allow distractions to interfere--a good thing. Lastly, my BODY gets plenty of work pushing a wheelbarrow around, freeing up boulders from the ground, and digging, digging, digging. Landscaping is great exercise and a calorie burner.

So what are you waiting for? Summer may be over, but fall is an excellent time to do some planting and work around the yard. Besides being a fun and rewarding hobby, landscaping is a chance to help you find balance between your MIND, BODY, and SPIRIT. Think about it.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike