When we're walking through the forest, we're always looking in front of us or at our feet to see where we're stepping. Rarely do we remember to look up at the treetops, where we can see the grandeur of our surroundings. The treetops open up, the sky appears between gaps of green and the light spreads out in dancing movements. The environment that seemed to be just a path to walk reveals itself to be more grandiose and vast, like an immense box, much bigger than we could have imagined, which surrounds and protects us.
This simple experience – lifting our gaze – is a metaphor for the way we walk through life. Most of the time, we are so immersed in our worries that we forget to see the breadth of our space. Our minds carry more weight than the backpack on our backs. What we think about deadlines, responsibilities, insecurities and expectations is often much more suffocating than what we are actually carrying.
And so we go on, like someone with their head down, seeing only the next step. This focus on the immediate is necessary and important for moving through life – after all, we need to know where and why we're going. But when we forget to change our perspective, we run the risk of living our entire lives doing just two things: avoiding obstacles and waiting for the next ten meters to be walked.
Looking up, in the forest and in life, is an exercise in remembrance. It reminds us that the world is not just about what is in front of our feet. There is height, there is depth, there is beauty beyond what we can see and control. This simple gesture invites us to let go, even for a brief moment, of the weight of everyday worries in order to realize that we are part of something much bigger.
Perhaps that's why being among tall trees is so transformative. Observing the trunks that take years to grow, the canopy that stretches towards the light and the space that opens up above us, we feel a different proportion of life. We understand, almost without words, that our haste is small compared to the time of a forest, and that our worries don't have to take up as much space as we think.
Looking up is also a reminder of balance. It's not about neglecting the path, ignoring the challenges or walking distractedly. It's about alternating our focus: sometimes on the ground that sustains us, sometimes on the sky that inspires us. This is how we find a lighter, more conscious and complete walk.
In practice, this can mean simple things. Taking a break in the middle of the day to breathe deeply. Remembering that, even in the midst of chaos, there is beauty to be found if we lift our heads. Recognizing that our stories are not just made up of problems to solve or what the next chapter will be, but also of moments of contemplation that give us meaning and expansion.
Just as in the forest, in life greatness is often above our usual field of vision. If we don't look up, we can pass right by without realizing it. When we change our perspective, we discover that we are not just walking somewhere, but that we are already immersed in a vast landscape, and that we are part of it.
So the next time you feel overwhelmed by the weight of your own thoughts or daily life, remember this simple gesture: look up. Allow yourself to feel the space, the light and the grandeur that are already there, just a glance away. The forest teaches us that walking is not just about moving forward, but also about learning to alternate your focus between the ground and the sky.
And perhaps this is the true art of living: balancing our attention between where we stand and the magnitude of what is above us.
With love,
