Naturalist Life

Relationships have many faces. We have relationships with our friends, relationships with our family, and relationships with our lovers or partners. Relationships are not a limited definition in its essence. Relationships means the connection between two or more people. Some do even consider the relationships between people and things, between animals, and even relationships between things. However, for the sake of this piece we will stick to the definition of relationships between people.

So, what is a relationship? A relationship is a connection that you build between yourself and another person. You can not only have one relationship. In fact, you can have as many as you’d like. Relationships can be as deep as you want them to be. The only constraint is the time and effort you invest in building each relationship. Some people believe that you can only have one relationship in your life, as they define a relationship as being the connection between two lovers in a monogamy relationship. Though, this is not a natural way of thinking.

Some cultures, developed through many years of programming, have taught us to strive towards finding the one and only partner that we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together with. As often said in church; “… till death do us apart”. But if you take a natural standpoint and look a tad deeper into the nature of life and our species, among others, this is not necessarily true at all. We’re not meant to only build a single relationship. However, naturally, there is nothing wrong with focusing on only building a single relationship either.

Relationships are fluid and they are many. Only we, ourselves, choose which kinds of relationships we seek to build and advance. We often categorize relationships, whether they’re lovers, friends, acquaintances, family, etc. and how close these relationships are. This can make sense to focus our attention on people who align with our own personal values, and thus, the relationships that we seek to develop. However, relationships are more of a spectrum. A spectrum of relationships moving between categories. This is our nature.

As relationships are all on the same spectrum, relationships can move freely up and down the ladder and between categories, as the connections evolve, and our prioritization changes through life. This also means that naturally, any relationship can move into the ‘lovers’ category, just as any relationship can move into any of the other categories. The ‘lovers’ category can be accompanied by one or several relationships. What really matters is the connections being built and the time and effort put into continuously building these relationships.

All relationships may change categories over time. New ones come; old ones go. That is life, a natural life. Any category on the spectrum of relationships can be a group of any number of people, of any gender, of any age, and so forth. That is our nature. Nobody can dictate who, how many, or why we categorize our relationships and focus our attention, time, and effort as we do. This is a personal matter – not a matter of the public society. We’re whole in ourselves and the relationships that we seek to build are enhancements of our lives. That is how it should be – and that is how it is. That is natural.

Time is a heavily discussed matter. How should you manage your time? When should you wake up? When should you workout? When should you go to work? And, when should you go to sleep? These are all good questions, but naturally, nature has the answer.

The solar clock, or the circadian rhythm, is the natural way to manage your time. All living beings have this daily rhythm implanted in their natural way of living. Trees and plants, animals, bugs, birds, and yes, humans. It's the way that you would live your life if you didn't have a clock at all. It's the way that birds know when to start singing and when to stay quiet. It's the way that the bear knows when to hunt for food and when to go to bed.

Fun fact: It's scientifically-proven that trees and plants go to sleep too. As the night falls, trees relax their branches and leaves. Branches and leaves fall during the night and rise during the day. Some plants even close their flowers at nighttime.

Following the rhythm of the Sun and the Moon gives you a natural way of living. Likewise, following the rhythm of the seasons gives you the agenda for the day.

Solar Day

Full Day (24H): sunset to sunset Night (Moon): sunset to sunrise Day (Sun): sunrise to sunset

Your solar day is naturally dependent on your location and the current season. The lengths of day and night changes every day and slowly transitions during spring and fall between longer nights to longer days, and vice versa.

Seasons: Summer and Winter Transition Periods: Spring and Fall

Naturally, the days are longer during Summer, and the nights longer during Winter. This speaks to the purpose of each season.

Summer: being active, living outside, rolling in the grass, exploring nature, going to the beach, long warm evenings, fruity and fresh foods Winter: going deep, living inside, being creative, lightning candles, reading books, sitting by the fireplace, cuddling up in a blanket, eating warm and thick or filling foods

During Summer, you have more time for activities outside. During Winter, you have more time for activities inside.

Timeline of a Solar Day

0% – Beginning of Sunrise: Wake-up 5% – End of Sunrise: Clean your body and mind (e.g., shower, meditation)

10%: Eat breakfast

15%: Focused work (e.g., writing, paperwork, reading to learn and factual reading, heavy tasks) 25%: Focused productivity is at 100%

45% – Before Sun Peak: Eat lunch

50% – Sun Peak: Second half of the day begins

55% – After Sun Peak: Best coordination and reaction time (e.g., organizing things, meetings, being creative, thinking big thoughts, doing things with your hands, light tasks) 75%: Cardiovascular efficiency and muscle strength (e.g., workouts, running, lifting weights, doing yoga)

80%: Eat dinner

90% – Beginning of Sunset: Melatonin is released and you start to feel sleepy (e.g., relaxed conversations, reading a book, painting, drawing, coloring books, candle lights) 95% – End of Sunset: Relaxed activities, meditation, and going to bed. 100% – Night: Sleep

Following the Solar Clock gives you the natural schedule in your life. Time management is already in nature and we've been following it since the beginning of time. It's the most natural way of planning your day and will help you feel at peace and in-sync with nature.