🌿 When You Look, You Truly See: Lessons from Nature’s Messengers
- Lori Chown
- Oct 29, 2025
- 4 min read
There’s a moment in every journey when the world around you begins to speak. Not in words, but in energy, timing, and gentle reminders. Lately, through the lens of my Nature Talks series, I’ve been reminded that when you look with your heart, the Earth always answers.
Even when the message seems simple. A caterpillar, a bird, the lift of morning fog ~ there’s a deeper knowing beneath it. And when you believe in that unseen rhythm, even if some might call it a placebo effect, something profound happens. You awaken. You feel connected. You remember that you’re part of something vast, living, and beautifully alive.
🐛 The Woolly Bear Caterpillar ~ Trusting the Process
It began with a slow traveler ~ the woolly bear caterpillar, making its steady way across my path. Three balanced bands of color, perfectly even, calm in its movement.
It reminded me to slow down, to trust the rhythm of life unfolding. Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. There
is wisdom in stillness, patience in waiting, and peace in knowing that change blooms in its own time.
The woolly bear carries an ancient message of transformation and resilience ~ a promise that even through the coldest winters, life always finds its way back to spring.
🦌 Elk Crossing ~ A Call to Presence
Then came the elk.Majestic, powerful, crossing the road as if guided by something eternal. I stopped my car, and my racing thoughts. The bull looked directly at me, steady and grounded.
That gaze said everything: Slow down. Breathe. Move with intention. The elk teaches that strength doesn’t come from speed, but from endurance. From the quiet confidence of knowing that your pace ~ your natural rhythm ~ is enough.
When you slow down, the world starts to align itself around you. You begin to see what’s been waiting all along.
🦋 The Butterfly Tree ~ Transformation in Motion
On another day, I walked along my favorite trail, seeking calm. The air was heavy with thought ~ until, in a rush of color, dozens of monarchs lifted into the air, swirling around like living light.
In that moment, I understood: transformation isn’t always graceful. It flutters, it stirs, it moves between chaos and clarity. But it’s through that very motion that we become something new.
The butterflies mirrored my own journey ~ reminding me that even when you can’t see the wings forming, they are always there, waiting for the right moment to unfold.
🦃 Turkey at the Door ~ A Call to Gratitude
Then, one morning, a wild turkey appeared ~ tapping on my glass door as though it had something urgent to say.
At first, it felt comical. But as I watched it strut and call, I realized the message was clear: Gratitude opens doors.Even in times of uncertainty, there is always something to be thankful for.
Turkey energy is rooted in abundance and reciprocity ~ a reminder that when we give thanks for what we have, we naturally attract more blessings. Gratitude doesn’t just shift the mind ~ it uplifts the heart, softens the soul, and reconnects us to life’s flow.
🌫️ The Fog Lifting ~ A Moment of Clarity
And finally, the river. The fog was thick that morning, wrapping the water in mystery. I stood still and watched as the mist began to rise, revealing shimmering reflections beneath.
As the fog lifted from the river, it lifted within me, too. Clarity, I realized, isn’t something we chase. It arrives softly when we’re ready to see.
Sometimes belief itself is the light ~ the quiet conviction that even when we can’t see the full path, the next step will reveal itself.
Seeing Beyond What Is Seen
Each of these moments ~ the caterpillar, the elk, the butterfly, the turkey, the fog ~ carried a message of faith beyond sight.
Nature reminds us that we don’t need to see proof to feel truth. Believing in what we can’t yet see doesn’t make us naïve ~ it makes us open. And that openness brings a euphoric sense of belonging, a gentle awakening of spirit.
Each of these messages came at the perfect time in my life. Reminding me to slow down, reminding me to be grateful, even when life seemed so unfair, reminding me to be intentional, to believe, when even faith felt hard!
So whether it’s the flutter of wings, the gaze of an elk, or the quiet lifting of fog ~ let yourself believe. Even if it’s just a “placebo,” belief itself is healing.
When you look ~ truly look ~ you begin to see that everything around you is alive with meaning, ready to mirror your inner world.
✨ The Earth is always whispering.All you have to do is listen.
Stay tuned, and follow my YouTube and Facebook pages as I release each of my #NatureTalks videos ~ gentle reminders to believe in what you can’t always see.
