Nature does not provide answers. That is why I can hear my own voice—a small overtone beast I met in the forest

When I walk through the forest, something mysterious happens.

The thoughts that were spinning around in my head just a moment ago begin to quiet down.

"Was that the right way to say it?"

"Maybe I could have conveyed it differently."

"I hope I didn't make them feel bad."

Those words don't disappear immediately.

However, I sometimes feel as though the sound of the wind blowing through the trees carries them away along with the voices in my head.

Sunlight filters through the trees, flickering.

I hear the sound of birds from far away.

The soil beneath my feet is a little soft.

Before I know it, my shallow breathing has become a little deeper.

Nature is mysterious.

"It's okay."

It doesn't say that either.

"Try harder."

It doesn't say that either.

"Get over it quickly."

It doesn't say that either.

It is simply there.

The wind blows,

Clouds drift,

Rain falls,

And eventually, the light shines through again.

Nature does not teach us the answers.

However, it gently gives us time where we do not need to rush for answers.

Perhaps that is why.

When I am in nature,

"What is the right thing to do?"

Rather than that question,

"How do I truly feel?"

I feel like it becomes a little easier to hear that voice.

A little one I met in the forest

A while ago, I met a mysterious little one in the forest.

A small, rare beast adorned with blue and purple crystals.

It was sitting quietly in a spot where the sunlight filtered through the trees.

It did not come closer,

nor did it run away.

It was simply looking at me.

"Hello"

Even when I spoke to it, there was no reply.

And yet, strangely, I felt at peace.

Even though nothing was said to me,

I was able to think,

“It is okay to be here.”

As a psychologist, I have listened to the stories of many people until now.

When people are in pain, they look for answers.

What was the right thing to do?

Where did I go wrong?

What could I have done to avoid being disliked?

However, the more one rushes for an answer, the harder it can become to see one's own feelings.

The things that made me sad.

The things that scared me.

The things I truly wanted to be understood.

The fact that, in my own way, I was trying to protect something.

Such feelings end up hidden behind the question of whether something is “right or wrong.”

Trees in the forest,

are not told,

“You must grow straight.”

There are trees that grow while bending.

There are trees that lose their branches along the way, yet still sprout new buds.

Even if it looks like nothing has changed during the winter, preparations for the next season are underway beneath the soil.

Perhaps the human heart is a little like nature, too.

Even if you cannot find the answer right away.

Even if there are days when you stand still.

By accumulating moments of peace, you grow little by little.

Perhaps we have possessed that strength all along.

The power to heal oneself

The little overtone beast did not try to help me.

It did not fight for me, either.

"You should do this."

It never gave me answers like that.

It simply stayed by my side.

Until I noticed the sound of the wind.

Until I remembered my own breathing.

"Actually, I might have been a little tired."

Until I returned to my own feelings.

Watching it, I suddenly thought:

People are not just healed by others; perhaps,

we also possess the power to heal ourselves.

Just as nature does not rush the seasons.

Just as flowers bloom without needing anyone to teach them how.

Our hearts also possess the ability to heal themselves.

However, in order to remember that power,

there are days when we need a place where we can stop and feel at ease,

or a presence that will watch over us in silence.

Even though I thought I had left it behind in the forest,

it was time to go home.

"Will I see you again?"

I asked the little overtone beast.

Of course, there was no reply.

The little one just watched me quietly from beneath the dappled sunlight.

I waved my hand and left the forest behind.

I thought I had left that little one in the forest.

But on the way home,

I felt as if a small light remained deep within my chest.

"It is enough for today."

"You don't have to find the answer right away."

"First, let's try listening to your own feelings."

Those words did not come from someone else, but from within myself.

Perhaps the little overtone beast was not in the forest,

but may have been sitting quietly somewhere within my heart.

Have you felt the healing power of nature lately?

Even without going to a distant forest,

when you look up at the sky,

when you feel the breeze coming through the window,

when you notice a flower by the roadside,

when you can listen to the sound of rain a little more calmly,

if there was a moment, even for just a few seconds, when your breathing relaxed,

that time might have been when your heart was trying to return to itself.

Nature does not try to change us.

It simply exists.

And perhaps within the human heart, too,

just like in nature,

there may be a power to heal oneself.

Today, just a little bit,

it might be okay to believe in that power of yours.

For some reason, today I feel like it is okay to be kind to myself.

May such a small feeling remain within you as well.

🌿Related Articles & Information

🌿 About the Chibi Creative Awards

This article is an entry for the #ChibiCreativeAwards event.

This time, I wrote this in response to the theme "Nature" by the Yamaoku AI Research Institute, presented at the "Chibi Creative Awards" hosted by Yoshida-san.

I have turned the silence felt in nature and the time when the heart slowly returns to itself into a
short story.

Thank you for such a wonderful project.

📌 Click here for Yoshida's Chibi Creative Awards | Creative Event article

📌 Click here for the Chibi Creative Awards "Yamaoku-san Booth"

🌿 Meju-san, who brought the Overtone Beast to life

The "Overtone Beast" that appeared in the story was brought to life by creator Meju-san, who captured my vision.

Adorned with blue and purple crystals, it is a presence that does not rush for answers but stays quietly by your side.

I look forward to seeing what kind of story the Overtone Beast will walk through from here on.

I am looking forward to it myself.

📌 Click here for Meju-san's pinned article

🌿 For those who want to return to their own heart even amidst human relationships

Just like taking a deep breath in nature,

I hope to practice returning to my own heart even in relationships with others.

With that thought in mind, I created a new space.

After a conversation or a LINE message,

"Was that the right way to say it?"

This article is for those who find themselves continuing to think about things like that.

📌 For those who cannot stop worrying, "Was that the right way to say it?" after a conversation or a LINE message

#ChibiCreativeAward
#Nature
#LetsPlayWithAI
#Essay
#SelfUnderstanding
#TowardsSelfUnderstandingNotSelfBlame
#ICounselingRoom
#OvertoneBeast