Nature — Positive Psychology and Mindfulness Practices to Help You Thrive

We are living mirrors. Each Earth Day, we are reminded of our connection to nature. However, I would like to tell you about a philosopher who was talking about our interconnectedness with nature all the way back in the 1700’s. He was not the first to do so, but he, to my knowledge, was the first philosopher to make interconnectedness a hallmark of his metaphysical system. This philosopher is one Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who is famous for his co-creation of calculus as well as his tomes of philosophical and mathematical thoughts and arguments. Allow me to elucidate Leibniz’s thoughts on our interconnectedness with nature, and then illustrate some of the benefits of thinking about ourselves as “living mirrors.”

The Impact of Pausing for a Small Moment of Awe

Is there a time that made you stop and take in what was happening due to feeling a sense of vastness, wonder, or a loss for words? I had one of those moments when I was seven years old. The Winter Olympics were happening, and my family was very invested in watching the various events. One evening, we watched the women’s figure skating event. Michelle Kwan, one of the top figure skaters for the U.S., was getting ready to do her skating routine. I remember that once she started, I was entirely consumed by her performance. All my attention and energy were focused on her and her skating. I had never seen anyone skate like that. I was blown away. Her skating inspired me, and I still love to watch figure skating. But what I was feeling that day all those years ago was awe.