Happy August to all souls who are reading!  I hope each and every one of you has created memories and enjoyed smiles and laughs over the warm summer months.  I also hope you have kicked off your shoes or sandals, dipped your toes into an icy mountain stream, felt the soft ground beneath the arches of your feet as your bare skin connects with Mother Earth and watched a golden sunset and contemplated a deep thought.  

Lost Soul Imaging is thankful for everyone who participated in the "Outdoors and Mountains" contest to celebrate two (2) years of photography operations.  Each story I read made me smile and I am thankful for the thought put into them.  Being outside and experiencing all the things that Gaia and this earth has to offer resonate with me, and as I have seen, with many of you as well.  Mountains, forests, quiet streams and alpine meadows offer solace and solitude.  A place to stop and think.  To dream big dreams and contemplate everything from our own existence to the existence of extraterrestrials.  It is a place where, if we pause long enough, we can hear the gentle "Hum" (OM) of the universe.  We can feel the energy and spirit of the place our souls rest and, inherently, find happiness in that moment.  To shuck away the stress of daily life and to stare off into the distance and harness our inner child and let our imagination run wild.  The following story captures that perfectly.  

Thank you, Joanna Kacprzycka (on Instagram as  Lil_Lovin_words) for this story and congratulations!  You truly "get" what the "Spirit of the Outdoors" is!

"Ah, the sounds of nature; buzzing of a bees, fluttering feathers of a bird, whistling of the wind and there comes the harmonious grinding of the lawn mover. We go to places of sanctuary of get away from our own demise. The very noises of external factors and our own internal voices. To clear voices of the mind, in a sense. 

We all need to silence the mind.  To reach that point of nothingness and just listen to natures music. It really is a beautifully orchestrated symphony. Sometime we are lucky to enter a silence of nothingness that to hear a 'something', we have to silence ourselves even more. So why do we occasionally bore of the silence? A longing for something other than silence or in retrospect, the longing for silence itself?

Some people are introverts, other extroverts and there are those with a little bit of both. Regardless of the degree of solitude or lack of one self needs, we all long to be a part of something. To feel connected; to others, to ourselves, to our environment, to a something that helps us feel a sense of belonging in this wonderful  vast universe. 

During my cross country trip with a friend, after hiking the 9 miles knee deep river and ascending canyons in the Zion National Park, we finally settled in to our campsites to take in our adventure. We decided to lay down a tarp and just gaze at the stars. Little did we know that there was a planned construction orchestrated in the park that ran from the 10pm til the morning hours. Instead of getting agitated, we laughed along and mimicked the grinding noises of the bulldozer to be of a foreign species mating. And so our hilariously expanded with our silly imaginations til our laughter exhausted us and we called it a night. 

In the midst of natures finest enchantments we sometimes find ourselves thrown into the unexpected, the ridiculous and out of place. My wish for you is to filter your thoughts and in the midst of the chaos find a remedy to fill your soul with joy rather than converting it in to troubling times."

I sincerely hope that you took the time to close your eyes, imagine the sights and sounds of the story above.  Find joy in it and in everything.  We, as humans, become so entrenched in our lives, careers, daily chores that sometimes, we forget how truly beautiful the stars and outdoors are.  When was the last time you layed in a field, stared up at the clouds and imagined what animal or thing you saw?  When was the last time you sat out, under the cover of darkness, and watched for shooting stars?  When did you last jump into a lake, pond or stream and screamed happily, at how cold it was, but how alive you felt?  Think on that.  If it's been a while, why?  What's stopping you from venturing out?  You don't need fancy camera gear, a big Osprey backpack and ultralight hiking gear to enjoy what nature has to offer.  I challenge each of you to take an afternoon and go to your local park, forest, mountains or streams and be present.  Sit and watch the clouds, look for ladybugs, chase a butterfly, lay in the grass and let your imagination run wild.  Write and poem or short story and share it with someone.  

John Muir is a man who also "got it".  My favorite quote of his is as follows; "Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."  It doesn't have to be for a week, but it is amazing at how your soul will feel even after just an afternoon out there.  Nature is a beautiful place.  There is beauty in every village, city, state, province and country.  All we have to do is kick off our shoes and venture out there.  My challenge stands to each one of you.  Go out into nature and immerse your spirit into it.  Take a few photos, write something, but most of all BE PRESENT in the moment.  When you get back to civilization, rested and refreshed, share your experience and adventure.  Tag me if you wish in your photos or writing.  I love to share the wonder of nature and the beauty of the outdoors with all kindred spirits and like minded souls.  Find me on Instagram @liongrad2001 or search #hikingpoet and #lostsoulimaging.  Let's create a community of dreamers, outdoors lovers, adventurers, poets, photographers and nature lovers.  This world needs more creativity and love in it.  Nature is a perfect place to begin.  

I hope the story shared today from Joanna, resonates and echoes in every soul who read it.  I hope it inspires you to get outside and write your own story and experience your own adventure, however big or small it may be.  Just get outside and see what it does for your soul.  You will not regret it.  Thank you to all who participated.  Your support of my venture into photography means a great deal to me.  Happy adventuring and remember...
 

"Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time..."

Namaste, friends.