Discover the benefits of rewilding for higher performance, leadership, clearer thinking, and a more balanced life.
Recently, we traveled to five countries in three weeks for client work. (What time zone am I in again?)
One of the talks I gave was in my home country of South Africa. The location was so remote that I couldn’t even get to its location the night before, because of the lions and rhinoceros roaming around.
The stage was set surrounded by the bush, and I half-expected a giraffe to lean its head in and participate in the conversation.
Under a canopy of trees, with monkeys literally jumping between branches above my head, I gave one of my most invigorating, exciting, and deeply connecting talks to a company yet.
We did interactive brainstorming with leaders from a large agricultural organization, and ideas were flowing faster than the cheetahs in the wild near us. Inspiration for innovation and creativity seemed to pour from the group, coming from watching the way the sun made shadows on the ground and the clouds passing in the sky. Not to mention, everyone felt more relaxed and in touch with their inner selves, open to sharing and collaborating.
Somehow, while outside, possibilities seemed limitless versus inside, when sitting in a conference room with fluorescent lighting.
I reflected on why it seemed a person’s access to courage and creativity seemed easier outside in the wild. Personally, growing up in a country town in South Africa, “the wild” is something I have in my blood. I wear my “wild” on my sleeves, so to speak (and literally, with my tattoos).
We live in boxes
In modern life, so little time is spent in the wild.
We live and work in boxes with windows (our homes and offices). We stare at boxes in our hands (phones), watch television and computer monitor boxes, and drive in the boxes of our cars. We can even “box ourselves in” with limiting beliefs.
Humans have also solved so many of life’s discomforts. Heating and cooling systems can set false climates and bypass seasonality altogether.
We eat foods made a year ago from a box rather than fresh from the earth.
We sit at desks all day and don’t walk the earth to forage or get from place to place.
Modern humans have left nature as our primary home, and gone into homes we’ve built, where we put reproduced scenes of nature on our walls and plastic plants on tables to attempt to give us what our bodies and minds desire.
The earth may not need us, but we certainly need it. If we could have a symbiotic relationship with nature (and don’t take more than we need), we’d all live happier, healthier lives.
The concept of “rewilding”
The concept of “rewilding” caught my attention while watching the nature documentary ”A Life on Our Planet” by David Attenborough. A renowned broadcaster, natural historian, and author, Attenborough was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of television and nature documentaries. At nearly 100 years old (as of the writing of this blog), he’s spent more than seven decades educating and inspiring people around the world about the natural world.
In the movie, Attenborough recounts how he’s seen humans’ relationship to the earth evolve, often negatively. At the end of the movie, he shows there’s hope because we can reverse it (see our piece on ways here). If we let nature do its thing, it can “rewild” our planet. Nature knows what to do if we let it.
The answer to my question of, “Why was this group able to access and express courage and creativity so well?” is: The group was in touch with their “wild” selves.
Rewilding for courage
Usually, people will go on vacation somewhere natural – to national parks where they can take in grand vistas, to the beach where they can feel the power and peace of the waves and smell the salt air, or to the jungle or the mountains where they can hike, swim, and reconnect with a sense of belonging.
Take a look at your network’s Instagram feeds, and you’ll see what gets people most excited. It’s sunsets, good food, beautiful landscapes, and connections with animals, nature, and each other.
When we’ve helped our clients connect to the natural environment, we notice an increase in:
Productivity | Empathy | Creativity |Understanding |Healing |Collaboration | Trust | Communication
Almost every aspect of being a human being is improved by turning to and tuning into the wild.
The more we take clients out into a natural environment, in harmony with nature and the elements, the speed at which they solve complex problems drastically improves.
Rewild for growth and breakthroughs
Need to work out a conflict with your partner or a colleague? Have a problem you need to find a creative solution for? Need to transform something in your life or get to a breakthrough? Feeling overwhelmed by stress and burnout?
Think about it outside.
Feel your feelings outside.
Talk about it outside.
Create together outside.
Rewild yourself. Look up at the stars. Tune into the creatures running around your garden. Watch the leaves on the tree dance. Look at the footprints in the snow. Notice the cloud shapes and the birds flying above.
Connected in nature, your body and mind will know what to do. You were wired to be there.
Experiment with your inner wild
If you don’t know what lights you up inside, experiment.
Get out of your artificial environment and into a natural one that runs on ancient frequencies and the pace of nature. One that honors the seasons, and the rhythm of mornings and evenings. That rewires and recalibrates your thinking and your mind gets clearer and calmer, while other decision-making and understanding speed up.
Instead of artificial environments like wifi, fluorescent lights, screens, and Oreos, go somewhere you feel held and supported by a natural rhythm of trees, breezes, natural food, and the sky, you will tune in and connect to exciting parts of yourself and your spirit.
What does your Rewilding look like?
I grew up in South Africa, connected to nature. So “wild” is in my blood. It doesn’t take me long to rewild when I need to. For me, I feel the most in tune with my purpose, spirit, and creative consciousness when I’m in the forest, jungle, hiking, exploring, or taking a cold plunge into the sea.
For other people, I’ve noticed their “rewilding” means exploring a new city’s sights, sounds, and tastes.
Others feel the most connected to their inner wild when they feel open to dress and express themselves in a way that doesn’t have to squash their energy to appease other people.
Rewilding does not mean being reckless or making poor choices. It means harnessing passion and connectivity, creativity, joy, and energy in your environment.
How does your inner wild want to express itself?
New Service: Rewilding Coaching + Workshops
In this new Be Courageous offering, we offer coaching, workshops, and events to tap into your and your team’s courage in nature. We’ll get off screens and do 2-3 hour walks in nature; workshops and programs are done with nature elements weaved throughout.
If this sounds like something you and your team need, reach out. We’re ready to guide your rewild.
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Co-written/edited: Shannon Geher
Research/images: FIN / Unsplash
