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Last week we were exploring natural rhythms and how to remember the time of the wild.

I’ve been sitting with that this week and noticing how it applies not only to the seasons around us but to the timelines of our own lives.

I’m a big believer in the power of perspective. When we’re caught in the midst of things, our vision narrows to what’s right in front of us. The problem we’re worrying about today can feel enormous and yet, in a few weeks or months, it may barely register in our memory.

That’s why coaching, therapy and reflective practices like meditation can be so powerful. They allow us to step back, regulate our nervous systems and access what some people call the ‘wise mind’.

It isn’t just spiritual language either. In my corporate days, people talked about taking ‘the helicopter view’ rather than getting ‘lost in the weeds’. It’s different vocabulary but the same instinct to create space, shift perspective and see the whole.

That feels more relevant now than ever.

We have access to more information than any generation before us. But how much of it is actually useful? And how much of it is narrowing our worldview?

We talk about echo chambers and algorithms controlling what we see. And yes, systems influence us. But when we say we’re completely controlled, we hand over a huge amount of power. We forget that we can choose to zoom out.

I notice something similar in conversations around AI. The rhetoric is sometimes becoming almost evangelical as though you are either a true believer in the technology or a luddite who simply doesn’t get it. A false binary and binaries rarely hold the truth.

History (and nature) show us that integration takes time. We discover something new, we experiment, we overuse it a little and then slowly, wisdom forms around how to hold it well.

It’s what a baby does. They touch everything, put things in their mouth and learn through direct experience. But it’s a risky approach and why we wouldn’t leave sharp objects lying around in a playpen. They’re not wise enough to know the risks.

Maybe that’s where we are. Technology accelerating faster than our moral frameworks and shared agreements can keep up. The speed itself creates division that serves no one.

Which leads me to think about the Dunning-Kruger effect? Have you heard about it before?

I really like this model. It reminds us that we don’t have all the answers and never will but the more we learn, the more we realise we don’t know. And that’s the beauty of life.

When we first gain new knowledge, confidence often spikes. We feel certain, evangelical even. But the more we learn, the more we realise how much complexity there is and how little we truly know.

I’ve seen this across sustainability, spirituality, leadership, healing. Someone finds yoga. Or carbon calculating. Or breathwork. It works beautifully for them and it becomes ‘The Answer’.

I’ve felt that relief myself. That sense of “Ah, this is it.” We might want others to agree with us to provide validation and coherence. And when the world is so up in the air, we need connection.

But life is contextual and relational. It’s a web of tools, timing and temperament. And we’re allowed to change our minds when we have more information.

All of these modalities can be incredibly useful. But wisdom lies in knowing when to use something, when to pause and how to integrate it into the wider shape of a life.

There’s a line attributed to Lao Tzu that often comes to mind:
“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.”

That is useful in reminding me that certainty is often a phase rather than a destination.

And maybe that’s why I struggle with neat titles like ‘consultant’, ‘mentor’ or ‘expert’. They imply a fixed expertise. I don’t see myself as someone with a universal blueprint. I have experience, yes. Pattern recognition and tools. But mostly I help people access what is already forming inside them and to remember what nature already knows, you were always enough.

Events & gatherings

And speaking of stepping out of the weeds and into something new…

It’s nearly time for the launch of The Natural Network onto the high street and I’m genuinely excited. And, if I’m honest, a little nervous too.

This new chapter is growing from the compost of “People, Planet, Pastry” - gatherings we hosted as part of a national community. When the sponsor stepped away from funding the wider events, it could have been an ending. Instead, it became an opening.

An invitation to build something ourselves.

But this time, it’s grassroots. Independent. Ours. And that means charging for tickets. I’m curious about that transition from free to paid and what it shifts energetically. There’s something vulnerable about placing a value on something you care about and asking, will this resonate? Will people come? Will it feel worthwhile to the community?

We’ve poured thought, care and intention into this. But putting something new into the world always carries that tender edge. You don’t really know if it will land until it does.

And yet here it is, breaking through the soil and emerging in to the world:

The Natural Network at Patch

27th February: 10am - 12pm at Patch. Tickets here

This first event will be an introduction to the series with facilitated discussion, a celebration of our community and time to connect with others. All aligned to the seasonal energy and a delicious treat, hot drink and facilitated discussion.

And then it’s not long until we’re back at Four Acre again…

The Natural Network at Four Acre - ‘The Emergence’

20th March: 9.15-13.15 at Four Acre Farm. Tickets here

As day and night come into balance, this Spring Equinox gathering invites you to step from reflection into visible action.

If winter was for thinking and February was for tending what is growing beneath the surface, we're now ready for emergence.

This focused half-day experience blends structured business reflection with nature-based insight.

Workshop, delicious lunch, connections and follow up 30 minute coaching conversation with me.

Don’t forget that as an email subscriber, you can use the code Naturalnetwork20 for a £20 discount. We’d love to see you there.

Wrapping up…

Perhaps the invitation for this week is to stay curious, to zoom out regularly and resist the seduction of finding ‘the answer’.

And maybe, in a practical way this week, to try one small experiment. When you feel certain about something (especially online) pause for a moment and ask yourself, ‘What might I not be seeing from here?’

Or gently widen the lens, ‘If I took the helicopter view, what would change?’

Perspective has its own rhythm, we contract and we expand. We zoom in and we zoom out. Both are necessary.

Remembering the time of the wild might simply mean remembering that wisdom unfolds slowly and that integration cannot be rushed.

Until next week. As always, with compassion and curiosity,

Nick

Well that’s it for another week. But we don’t have to stop there.

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