Principles of Nature

“The best life coach ever has millions of years of success creating a beautiful,
abundant and sustainable life. Her name is Mother Nature.”
Dr. Bruce Lipton PhD

As human beings we are part of Nature and the same principles that apply to Nature apply to us. We can learn from Nature by observing and we can use its Principles in our daily lives, no matter where we are.

The following eleven Principles of Nature can help us live happier and more organic lives. I invite you to observe how they manifest in Nature and ask yourself how you see them in your own life or how and where you would like to pay more attention to them. This text is based on ideas of the well-known cell biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton and his friend Rob Williams, the originator of PSYCH-K®.

Let’s start with the Principle of Adaptation
In the Darwinian notion of the survival of the "fittest", the word fittest refers to the most suitable, the most adapted one. The most successful animals and plants are those with the greatest ability to adapt to changes in the environment. The most successful people are those who can adapt to a rapidly changing world, through creativity and flexibility, by seeing limitations as opportunities, and by adapting accordingly.

Collaboration
The bee and the flower need to collaborate in order to ensure the survival of both. For people, collaboration and healthy competition can be a source of inspiration to be better human beings. When we see that instead of working against each other, it is simpler and more efficient to work with each other, we will be living lives with a common sense of purpose and security, replacing fear and chaos.

Diversity
Imagine a park where all the trees have exactly the same colour, shape and size. That’s boring and it’s an unhealthy ecosystem. Diversity is beautiful and healthy. Bio-diversity in Nature increases the chances of survival of the entire ecosystem. Diversity of thought and behaviour in humans not only makes our lives more interesting, it also increases our options for adaptation and survival in the planetary ecosystem.

Harmony
The most successful plants and animals are those that live in harmony with the Principles of Nature. We human beings also need to regain the ability to live in harmony with everything and everyone on our planet in order to facilitate the survival of our civilization. Learning to live in harmony with each other and the land improves life.

Cause and Effect
People may call this principle Karma, or the Law of Attraction, or the concept of “reap what you sow”, and it is also related to the scientific principle of quantum interactivity: everything you think or do, has an effect, small or large, conscious or subconscious. Just like the wind affects the shape of a tree, your beliefs and perceptions drive your behaviour, and everything you do has an effect in your life but also in other people’s lives.

Resilience
In Nature, we can observe resilience in the ability to recover from physical trauma such as fire, flood, earthquake, etc.  In the case of people, trauma is often emotional, but the principle is the same. What may seem like a crisis in our life, can leave room for new growth and renewal just like a forest fire leaves room for new growth in the forest.

Balance
In Nature, the balance between all the elements in an eco-system is a fundamental requirement for survival and sustainability. In humans, balance is also a fundamental requirement for health and survival; balance between the quality of the masculine and feminine, between the characteristics in each individual, between the left and right hemisphere of the brain, between reasoning and emotion, between activity and rest, etc.

Interconnectedness
In Nature everything is connected and part of a bigger whole; one big organism called Planet Earth. In humans, interconnectedness refers to the awareness that our actions can affect the wellbeing of others, and the importance of honouring and respecting the feelings of all those involved. We may seem to be separate from each other, but we are all part of one large community.

Timing
In Nature the impeccable use of time and moment is evident: seeds germinate in the spring and mature like plants in the summer, baby animals are born when they are ready for it. This same sense of optimal timing is essential to give birth to a new idea or project, to give space to a relationship, to know how and when to say something.
And just as the seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, are arranged in a perfect sequence and have their individual purposes, so too do we have the seasons of our lives; birth, growth, adulthood, maturity, aging, and departure.

Effective Use of Resources
In Nature everything and everyone is recycled. Dead plants and animals become food for new life, maintaining the ancient cycle of death and birth. Conscious use of resources such as time, energy, knowledge, love, land, water, ...are vital for the survival of human individuals and humanity.

The last principle is called More is not always better
There is beauty in simplicity. In a world of excess sometimes less is more. In other words, simplicity is simply beautiful!.

This text is largely inspired by the beautiful video “The Beauty and Principles of Nature” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiBIxTr6C0U
I hope it inspires many people as much as it inspires me.

with love,
Annemiek