Illumination Wellbeing Center

01/29/2026

YOU ARE NATURE
"There is a reason why walking amongst nature is most people’s best advice when depression strikes.
Because walking in nature is a return to ‘home’.
You are not a lover of nature, or a fan of nature, you ARE nature.
You are as much nature as the trees in your garden and the bees on your picnic.
You were designed to live your days out in the wild with your fellow creatures and plants but progress, humanity, had different plans for us all.
And so we exist day-to-day, in our homes, but never ‘home’.
The quickest route back to self, to inner peace, is bare feet on grass, arms around trees, head in the clouds and heart in a forest.
Put your weary bones in water, whenever you can, smell each flower you see and crumble dirt between your tired-of-typing fingers.
You are nature, go home once in a while.
It will bring you much you didn’t even know you were missing."

~Donna Ashworth - You Are Nature (Wild Hope)

Image: Mother Earth by Angela Babby, Lakota

01/29/2026

01/29/2026

Squirrels, in their quest for survival, unknowingly plant millions of trees around the world every year. As they bury nuts to secure their food supply, they often forget where they’ve hidden them, giving rise to new trees. This simple, natural act of forgetting becomes a powerful symbol of how life’s smallest actions can have a vast, positive impact. Like these squirrels, we may not always be aware of the changes we create, but the energy we put out into the world can ripple far beyond our immediate surroundings.

This fascinating phenomenon also reminds us of the interconnectedness of all life. Every creature, no matter how small, plays a vital role in sustaining the delicate balance of nature. It’s easy to overlook the significance of our actions, but we, too, are contributing to a larger, cosmic pattern that is unfolding. The act of planting, of nurturing life, is something we can all engage in—whether it’s through our words, our thoughts, or our actions.

Consider the seeds you are planting today. What impact are you unknowingly making on the world around you? Just like the squirrels, we have the power to influence the future, even in ways we might not fully understand.

01/29/2026

“Emotional satisfaction has replaced empirical evidence in much of modern thinking.”
— Thomas Sowell

Sowell warns against feelings overruling facts. Comfort often triumphs over truth. Evidence becomes secondary to ideology. This shift weakens reasoned debate. Societies guided by emotion risk self-deception. Thinking demands discipline, not validation.

01/29/2026

🇮🇪 Ireland - where the wit cuts through the wind, the welcome burns warmer than a turf fire, and wonder lives quietly in the land itself.

📸 Irish Roots

01/28/2026

01/28/2026

🫖 The Sound of a Kettle in an Irish Kitchen
In many Irish homes, the kettle set the pace of the day. It marked a pause between jobs, a neighbour at the door, or a moment to sit together at the table. No invitation was needed. The kettle said enough.

These habits were rarely spoken about. They were picked up by watching and listening, learned through presence rather than instruction. Quietly passed on, they settled into everyday life without ever needing a name.



📸 Irish Roots

01/28/2026

01/28/2026