No. 122

Grounded

On Sunday morning, there was a brief warm spell in the area. You could smell the rain coming, but for a few hours, it was sunny and glorious. My whole winter has been spent indoors practically, so between the cold and snow and freezing rain, I was determined to take advantage of the hint of spring.

The boyfriend and I drove out to Glen Alton, an old homestead that was sold to the Jefferson National Forest, mainly to look for deer antler sheds (I love a good treasure hunt) and walk around the trails and ponds.

We wandered off from each other at one point. I was following a deer path I found in one area of the woods; he was off on another. I was alone, eyes scanning the earth around me for any signs of where the deer might have bedded or moved or eaten. For a moment, I stopped and closed my eyes. And there, for the first time in so long, I felt truly grounded and connected with the Earth again.

Sometimes, I like to blame this need to be grounded on my Capricorn sun sign. But we are creatures who love and find certain places we feel more at home in than we do in others. I feel the same way when I write or am solving a puzzle. I suspect many artists feel the same way when they’re deep in their art, and many scientists know the feeling well when they’re immersed in their research. We ground. We connect. We tap into something more infinite, more expansive, more abundant.

I can’t wait for more days in the forest, by the river, in the sun. Spring is so close. But even for the remaining weeks of cold we have ahead, I’m reminding myself that I need to ground even indoors, with those things I love.

What grounds you?

 

About brandi

Brandi is a digital strategist, website developer, and founder of Alchemy+Aim, a company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners elevate their online presence and enhance their digital experience. Her academic background in theatre, philosophy and physics was the perfect foundation for launching her business, where she’s worked with Brené Brown, Laverne Cox, Judy Smith, and other notable thought leaders since 2013. She is an advocate for using technology in ways that humanize, connect and serve people as well as for asking deeper philosophical questions and teaching others to think more broadly about impact when they create, particularly in STEAM fields.

4 thoughts on “Grounded

  1. I’m still trying to figure out what grounds me. I’m not sure. I’ve always loved walking outside. I think the walking on the beach grounded me, but now that I don’t live on the beach, I have to find something else in the meantime. Definitely a good question. I’ll have to think about this one.

  2. I had a similar experience this morning. Warmth has penetrated the cold jacket the South has been wearing and we decided to go hiking. We headed to the Lost Valley Park here in Arkansas and it was so beautiful! I had forgotten what nature looked like! We were climbing around in a cave with a waterfall and I just sat on a rock, it was so peaceful.

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