There’s something about nature that gets our blood flowing smoother and our heart beating stronger. There’s probably some sort of research about endorphins and all sorts of science that can explain why the wilderness refreshes us. These nature quotes on life and natural beauty will get you excited about being outside, whether you need it or not.
If you’re looking for more nature inspiration, take a look at these sunset quotes and these beach quotes.
1.Einstein understands everything better.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. –Albert Einstein
It seems strange the one of the greatest thinkers of all time would give such praise to nature. The reality is that all the great math and science geniuses loved nature. Newton’s apple was the first and Fibonacci observed his sequence in nature before he made note of it. Just about every great discovery has come from a keen observation of nature.
2.Theo Roethke shows us the path.
Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley. -Theodore Roethke
The figurative and literal meanings of this quote resound in our souls. The truth of this quote makes it so valuable. When you are in a valley in life, it’s hard to see the path that will lead you out of that low point. Just keep on striving and the path will appear before you.
3.Martin Luther King Jr. values nature.
For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. –Martin Luther King Jr.
Nature is often seen as something we can escape to when life is hard. The reality is that the nature that surrounds us is far more meaningful and far more valuable than the money that we chase and obsess over. If we appreciated nature the way we love money, we might just make the world a bit more peaceful… and beautiful.
You may also like: These beautiful butterfly quotes: https://brightdrops.com/butterfly-quotes
4.God gives Mother Teresa the silent treatment.
God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. –Mother Teresa
In nature, silence is loud. You can sit and enjoy the subtle sounds that surround you. Deep in the woods, there is a peace and harmony that doesn’t exist in the city or anywhere around human habitats. The best way to experience the divine is through the silence.
5.Camus loves the Fall.
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. – Albert Camus
The harvest season is the time when all the leaves begin to turn. Seeing the brilliant colors is just as beautiful as watching them bloom and blossom in the Spring. Nature gives us two seasons to enjoy the colorful array of her Beauty.
6.Robert Frost has a long way to go.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. – Robert Frost
It’s easy to get lost in the woods. Horror movies change the way we think about the darkness, but we shouldn’t fear it. Instead, we should embrace the beauty and depth of the woods. There are unending adventures waiting for us, just outside.
Related: Flower Quotes
7.Emerson admires Nature’s outfit.
Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
As you might expect, the Transcendentalists are heavily represented on this list of nature quotes. Ralph is quick to point out that Nature is always wearing exactly what is on our own spirit, whether it’s the brightness of Spring, or the gray of Winter.
8.Jules Renard sees pieces of Heaven.
On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it. – Jules Renard
We are blessed on this planet with small glimpses of the divine. They are all around us. We need not look far to find the beauty. Small miracles are all around us. We simply need to go outside and take a look around at all of the great creation to which we belong.
9.Hans Christian Andersen needs sunshine and flowers.
Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. – Hans Christian Andersen
Getting caught up in the cycle of living is simple. Work, eat, sleep, repeat. Our routine can become us. That’s not living; that’s surviving. You need a little bit of the wild to keep you fresh. Get outside and soak up the sun. Basically, stop and smell the roses.
10.John Muir bathes in the wild.
Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. – John Muir
This applies today more than ever. When we are so caught up in the air conditioning and microwaves of the modern world, we need a break. Take a walk in the woods and enjoy the nature around you. Listen to the birds, drink in the views. It will wash you clean.
11.Ralph’s friend Nature.
A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was the first and most prolific of the Transcendentalists. He had quite a way with words. Even more than that, he loved Nature. He identified Nature as a friend, the same way we would our colleagues and drinking buddies. What if we all started befriending Nature in such a deep way? Spend some time alone with Nature.
12.Tagore measures time like butterflies.
The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough. – Rabindranath Tagore
What if instead of thinking about the shopping season or summer vacation, we lived in the moment? We might shift our entire perspective. We live in a world that lives on cliffhangers and previews of next week’s episode. What if we lived in the moment and counted our time as precious instead of counting down to the season finale?
13.Gerard de Nerval lives with flowers.
Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature. – Gerard de Nerval
It could be strange to think of flowers as truly living and sentient beings. If you spend a day in the lush fields that live everywhere in the world, you might start to see them as just that. When they sway and dance in the wind and invite the birds and bees, they seem to be offering more than just simple beauty.
14.Pedro struggles with primary colors.
Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises. – Pedro Calderon de la Barca
We all learned the primary colors in Kindergarten. They were yellow, red, and blue. In nature, it seems to be that green is the first color. When spring blossoms, the most prominent color is green. We seem to get every other color to spring forth from the deep and lovely green.
15.Camus is full of Summer.
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. – Albert Camus
Winter seems to bring us down. In this list of nature quotes, you’ll find a repeating chorus of joy in the frozen tundra. Camus calls it having the invincible summer within. Others will learn to find the beauty in the grays and whites.
16.Jacques Cousteau loves the sea.
The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. – Jacques Cousteau
Cousteau made a name for himself as the great sea explorer of the 20th century. He was obsessed with the two-thirds of the earth that we can’t explore as easily as walking around. We became a world that found beauty beneath the surface of the water instead of just using it to expedite travel and trade.
17.Khalil Gibran remembers the earth’s joy.
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. – Khalil Gibran
The earth is calling to us. She wants to feel our feet and blow our hair. We are meant to be a little bit wild. At the end of the night you’ll need shelter and warmth but we should pursue to make the earth happy. It will make us well rounded and fill us up better.
18.Leonardo needs a glass of water.
Water is the driving force of all nature. – Leonardo
Water is the building block of life. Only in recent centuries, we’ve started to explore the oceans. Leonardo had sketches of submarines and boats and other gadgets that he would love to see as a reality today. He observed the truth about the world long before we were ready for it.
19.Theo gets back to his roots.
Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light. – Theodore Roethke
The flowers are the makeup on the face of Mother Nature. It’s what we see when we bask in her glory. The reason they can reflect her beauty so easy is that they are the essence of light. In a symbolic way, they are the light that shines deep from within her soul.
20.Wordsworth learns from Nature.
Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher. – William Wordsworth
Nature can be a teacher. Not only to the Transcendentalists. We can also learn from observing nature. Take a walk in a park. Spend some time in your garden. Go for a long walk in the remote parts of town. You will begin to learn things about the world and even about yourself.
21.Hal Borland knows the trees.
Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. – Hal Borland
Hal Borland shares a few of those lovely lessons with us right here. We can learn the longsuffering of trees. They endure year after year of rain and wind and sun. They grow as tall as the redwoods on the western side of the United States. They can be as twisted as a black locust. At the same time, we can learn the unrelenting and rapid life of grass. All this without leaving the yard.
22.Longfellow lets it rain.
The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Rain is natural. Instead of moping around wishing that the rain would end so that we can see the sun again, we should embrace the rain for the miracle that it is. The water cycle is essential to life. Even Leonardo could find the beauty in the water falling from the sky.
23.John Muir travels the Universe.
The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. – John Muir
You can find the center of existence by going deep into the forest. The wilderness that exists in the beautiful lush green of the forest can make you see things in yourself that you didn’t see before. It’s a way to connect with all of existence in one moment.
24.John Muir goes to the mountains.
The mountains are calling and I must go. – John Muir
When you begin to develop a relationship with nature, you will begin to feel a pull. The force begins to call to you and pull you away from the chaotic monotony of everyday life. There’s no greater escape than climbing into the mountains, even if you use a car to get part of the way there.
25.Edward Abbey wants to be crooked.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. – Edward Abbey
This is a blessing of the greatest kind, though it begins a bit off-putting. Crooked and winding paths seem a little bit frightening, but the views you’ll find are unique and the paths are untraveled (or at least less traveled). The journey may be lonesome and dangerous, but it will only make those views more beautiful.
26.George Eliot loves Autumn so much he married it.
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. – George Eliot
Wouldn’t we all love to be a bird. The gift of flight would keep us intrigued for some time, but the idea of traveling the earth at our leisure would be the truest gift. Flying from place to place to seek the colors and beauty of nature that we love the most.
27.E. O. Wilson finds satisfaction in nature.
Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction. – E. O. Wilson
We are fully satisfied in nature. We find the aesthetic beauty; the intellectual reason; the cognitive reflection; and the spiritual enrichment. All of those things we crave are most often only found in nature.
28.Mattie’s favorite colors.
Sunset is still my favorite color, and rainbow is second. – Mattie Stepanek
If you’ve ever watched a sunset you’re sure to breathe in the reds and pinks and oranges that seem to multiply and bleed together the way no picture or painting could ever hope to capture. And that unique blend of colors can only be matched by the stripes of the rainbow.
29.John Muir needs healing.
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. – John Muir
The most wonderful thing about nature is that it can fulfill every need we have. We can find a way to play in the beautiful playground that has been given us. We can also connect in a spiritual way that is almost grounding. At the same time, we are healed in a way we can’t explain.
30.Gandhi is a good man.
The good man is the friend of all living things. – Mahatma Gandhi
If you’re looking for a role model, Gandhi is a great one. He sets the bar pretty high to befriend all living things. Nature can be our greatest and most rewarding friend. She doesn’t ask for a reciprocating relationship. It feels that Nature is the only true martyr in all creation.
31.Matisse sees flowers everywhere.
There are always flowers for those who want to see them. – Henri Matisse
Flowers can blossom anywhere. The leaves on trees are a different kind of bloom but can be just as beautiful as the rarest and most beautiful rose. When you take the time to drink in the nature that is around you everywhere, you need fewer excursions into the mountains and the wilderness.
32.Emerson sees the perfection of the whole.
Every particular in nature, a leaf, a drop, a crystal, a moment of time is related to the whole, and partakes of the perfection of the whole. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Every small droplet of beauty that is a part of nature only adds to the immeasurable beauty of the entire world. Each piece has a role to play to make the full symphonic beauty that we can enjoy if we simply take the time to reflect and take it all in.
33.Henry Beston’s three favorite sounds.
The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. – Henry Beston
If there are sounds in nature that are the most identifiable, it is these three. We all enjoy the sound of rain, even if we don’t enjoy being locked up all day. We can all remember that first time we heard the wind blowing through the trees. And we long for the beach but only if we can have it all to ourselves.
34.Nature smiles at Leigh Hunt.
Colors are the smiles of nature. – Leigh Hunt
Nature can have a huge grin during different times of year. If we look around, the same array of colors exist in the cold of winter as in the brisk spring air. You may have to look a little harder, but the smiles of color are here all year long.
35.John Ruskin loves the flavors of nature.
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. – John Ruskin
Throughout the year, you’ll find the color to be beautiful if you just look. The next step is finding the beauty in rain and wind and snow. All the beautiful moods that nature shows can be beautiful and refreshing if we are open to their receipt.
36.Richard Bach is an optimist.
What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly. – Richard Bach
A caterpillar is the perfect illustration for growth and change. We never stop to think about the caterpillar. They only live to become something else. When the butterfly is born, the caterpillar has died. The cocoon serves as a tomb of sorts in a morbid and beautiful way.
37.Van Gogh dreams about stars.
For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream. – Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh is undoubtedly remembered as disturbed. Perhaps he was a bit demented, but there is no doubt that he could interpret beauty in a way that all of us can appreciate. His Starry Night is still one of the most popular pieces of art in history, and will be forever.
38.Hippocrates hates excess.
Everything in excess is opposed to nature. – Hippocrates
Hippocrates is remembered for his commitment to theatre. He was a lover of nature. He understood that nature only gave us what we needed and that we shouldn’t take more than that. It’s a lesson that all of us need to relearn and remember, especially today.
39.Shakespeare is related to everyone.
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. – William Shakespeare
Connecting with nature makes us connect with everyone and everything. It’s hard to ingest the beauty of nature and still have squabbles with our fellow man. We can’t be upset about the neighbor leaving out his trash can a little too long. We can be upset about someone cutting us off in traffic. It just makes us more peaceful.
40.Dag measures from the top.
Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was. – Dag Hammarskjold
Mountains seem to be daunting when you are looking up from the ground. When you are at the top, you feel a sense of accomplishment. Whether you are climbing the world’s toughest mile in Colorado or the mild slope of Stone Mountain in Georgia, you can find the strength inside to get through it and enjoy the glory at the top.
41.Langston Hughes romances the rain.
Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. – Langston Hughes
Few poets are known for rhythm. Langston Hughes had such fluid movement in his words, it’s fitting we see this excerpt about rain to explore him. Nature brings us beauty, even in the busy buzzing of the city. We just have to open our eyes, and perhaps our mouths, to receive it.
42. Mark Twain likes long walks.
Golf is a good walk spoiled. – Mark Twain
It seems like in the modern world, people need a reason to be outside. Golf is just one of those reasons. In the 19th century, it was more common to be outdoors just to experience nature. When golf came around, everyone was excited. Well, everyone except the father of American Literature. Take a walk just to enjoy. Not to compete.
43.John Donne rings a bell for elephants.
Nature’s great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing. – John Donne
Most of John Donne’s quotable moments come from the same paragraph. It’s great to find this little gem hidden in his writings. When you finally delve into nature, it’s easy to forget about the simple majestic creatures that accompany us on this earth. The most harmless giant on the planet is the elephant. They are just about as smart us humans, too.
44.Wordsworth has not been betrayed.
Nature never did betray the heart that loved her. – William Wordsworth
Wordsworth had a way with words, especially when it came to nature. As one of the great transcendental poets, he seemed to write much of his work about nature. This gem is a reminder that nature, too, observes the golden rule. Treat her right and she will do you well.
45.Henri Rousseau is happy to paint.
Nothing makes me so happy as to observe nature and to paint what I see. – Henri Rousseau
We can never quite capture nature with a camera or a paint brush, but it never stops us from trying. Get in touch with your artistic side and try to capture just a fraction of the beauty you immerse yourself in, whether it’s daily or just on the weekends.
46.John Muir wants us to save the trees.
God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools. – John Muir
One of the great ironies in the world is our general adoration of trees and our constant battle with them as well. We seem to come up with carbon offsets and everything else to make up for our massive consumption. Today, take a minute to admire the trees that you pass by every single day and don’t quite notice.
47.Leo Buscaglia is wildly enthusiastic.
I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things… I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind. – Leo Buscaglia
The little things in life are what we forget about. Take a moment to stop and smell the roses, sure. But don’t forget to play in the leaves after you rake them, dance in the rain, and just enjoy a breeze. You’re never too old to play.
48.Wallace Stevens serves the king.
The day of the sun is like the day of a king. It is a promenade in the morning, a sitting on the throne at noon, a pageant in the evening. – Wallace Stevens
The bright, glorious sun is the king of all nature. He brings the light, and begins slumber. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could live the life of the Sun. All the power to set the standards for everyone, but none of the responsibilities of life. As Johnny Cash said, “That lucky old sun don’t do nothin’ all day…”
49.Walt Whitman smells the flowers.
Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed. – Walt Whitman
In the morning, more than coffee, we need fresh flowers, a walk in the garden, and a quick and easy connection to nature. If we could all start our day that way, it might make our caffeine addiction go into remission.
50.Einstein receives gifts from nature.
Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift. – Albert Einstein
Mathematicians love nature. It’s a thing. Look it up. Nature brings them all their greatest discoveries and lets them know they are on the right track with all their complicated theories. Whether they are finding surface area or string theory, they find their inspiration in the same place we all do.
51.Judy Garland is a bit glum.
Behind every cloud is another cloud. – Judy Garland
The famous line is twisted here. The truth is that there isn’t a rainbow behind every cloud. In fact, it’s more beautiful that way. The clouds are constantly floating in and out of the sky to bring rain or just to make a sunset a little more beautiful.
52.Aristotle loves the marvelous nature.
In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. – Aristotle
The simplest things in nature are truly the most marvelous things. The tiny ant can lift a hundred times its body weight. Sea turtles lay eggs in the same place every year. Those little babies travel around the world to return to the place they hatched. Everything under the sun has a marvelous journey.
53.Hawthorne is a lover of art.
Sunlight is painting. – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was a lover of nature. We remember him for the Scarlet Letter and other Gothic works. The truth is that the beauty of that era is in nature. They found the things in life that were not beautiful and shined a spotlight on it so that we could get rid of that ignorance and make the world more beautiful for generations to come.
54.Ingersoll sees the consequences.
In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences. – Robert Green Ingersoll
Nature is unforgiving. You hear people say that all the time. It’s true though. There aren’t true rewards and there aren’t really punishments. There is only the circle of life that continues to run through over and over. There are consequences for being too old, too young, or too infirmed. Yet, there are no punishments.
55.Walt Whitman sees more than grass.
I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars. – Walt Whitman
What a beautiful line from Leaves of Grass. Whitman’s most famous work is his most beautiful of all. He lays out a romance to Mother Nature and to his mysterious lover. What a lovely collection of words for them both. Anyone would be honored to have such a dedication.
56.William Allingham loves mellow yellow.
Autumn’s the mellow time. – William Allingham
The leaves begin to turn and life seems to slow down just a bit. It’s wonderful to take in all the beautiful shades of yellow and orange that surround us. We can take a little longer to sip our morning coffee. We can take a few more minutes to eat our lunch. Things just seem smoother.
57.Nabokov doesn’t want a simple answer.
The breaking of a wave cannot explain the whole sea. – Vladimir Nabokov
While it’s great to look at a single piece of nature, it does not tell us everything we want to know. When we look at a flower, we can’t begin to understand the forest. The same is true of all of nature. It’s not enough to be an occasional visitor. We must reside with nature all the time.
58.Robert Delaunay sees the light.
Light in Nature creates the movement of colors. – Robert Delaunay
As the sun rises or falls, we begin to see different shades of green on the same tree. We can see everything from a bright leafy green in the early morning to a deep hunter green in the early evening. Nature changes with the light in the sky.
59.Carl Sagan is a master chef.
If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. – Carl Sagan
Let’s not forget that all things are connected. Everything flows together in the universe. In order to begin anything from the beginning, you must hit the reset button on the entire universe. That’s not something that most of us can do. The point is, be happy with what you have in life. You don’t have to be such an overachiever.
60.Joseph Joubert is a novice beekeeper.
When you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees. – Joseph Joubert
We venture out looking for things to be perfect. We never set out expecting to find mediocrity. If we do have those big dreams, especially when it comes to nature, we must expect the downturns. If you want to find a secluded riverside, you might just twist your ankle on the untrodden path.
61.Frederick Douglass likes it rough.
It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. – Frederick Douglass
This is a figurative quote, but it does point out the beauty in the rough side of nature. The storms are something that we often hide from. We stay indoors and look for a way to stay out of the way. Instead, we should open the blinds and watch the beautiful storms unfold. Unless it’s a hurricane or something.
62.Euclid likes to have order.
The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God. – Euclid
This whole math thing is getting a little weird. Why is nature so intertwined with math. The reality is that math is merely the language of science and nature is indeed science. As far back as Euclid, nature was seen as a way for God himself to express himself to us in a scientific sense.
63.Muir enjoys his walks.
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. – John Muir
Walking is something we don’t do anymore. It’s a lost art. In the 19th century, walks were where the world was won or lost. The great thinkers of that era all took walks and reflected on those walks in their writings. No wonder we don’t have as money 20th and 21st century quotes here.
64.Warhol appreciates the original art form.
Land really is the best art. – Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol was the most successful and popular artist in pop art. He found true beauty in nature. One of his favorite artists was the great Ansel Adams. He found inspiration in a soup can because he found the irony in our new industrial art. It was never about being original for him, it was about pointing us away from the culture we began pursuing.
65.Alex Pope needs a bigger museum.
All nature is but art unknown to thee. – Alexander Pope
Each quote in this list points to the immeasurable beauty that we can find in nature. Whether you are looking at the lines created by the veins in a leaf or the majestic beauty of the largest land mammal, you see beauty in all things. You could fill every art museum in the world with natural art.
66.The lowercase poet likes nature… maybe.
The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. – e. e. cummings
The lowercase poet had quite a unique way of speaking. His command of language is still unmatched. Here we see just a small sampling of the words he made up to express the beauty that exists in the world around us. Look around today for just a piece of the mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful things around you.
67.Josh Reynolds is like a duplex machine.
A mere copier of nature can never produce anything great. – Joshua Reynolds
Some of the most beautiful art is photography or paintings that attempt to mimic natural landforms and pieces of nature. The truth is that none of us can match the original material. We can only hope to compare favorably to such beauty. That’s probably why the best known artists went in completely unique directions.
68.Thomas Guthrie is like a rock.
As in nature, as in art, so in grace; it is rough treatment that gives souls, as well as stones, their luster. – Thomas Guthrie
All the trial and tribulation in life only makes us more beautiful. The truth is like that in nature and in our own souls. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and the same is true for plants and animals and the earth itself. When we face troubles, we are more beautiful.
69.Walt Disney is not a formal man.
I don’t like formal gardens. I like wild nature. It’s just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess. – Walt Disney
Believe it or not, Walt likes the natural state of the wilderness. You might not be able to see that after walking in the gardens of Disneyland or Epcot. The perfectly groomed gardens are unreal. But there is something pure about the swamps that surround the Magic Kingdom.
70.Cote de Pablo gets close to God.
I’ve seen the majestic beauty of nature and the overwhelming perfection of it. To me, there’s nothing closer to God than that. – Cote de Pablo
Nature in its natural state is something that we can’t seem to capture in words or art. Instead, it captivates us. Our minds, our souls, we are completely transformed by experiencing nature and reflecting on those experiences.
71.Einstein is good at geometry, too.
Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty. – Albert Einstein
When you finally master the art of nature, you begin to see that mathematical formulas that make the world turn. We can begin to widen the circle that is around us and bring more people toward us, making everyone a bit more fulfilled. Hopefully all the circles will overlap somewhere.
72.Aristotle sees no vanity.
Nature does nothing in vain. – Aristotle
As long as there has been philosophy, there has been a love of nature. There is nothing vain in the natural world. You don’t see flowers blooming just to be beautiful. They simply are beautiful. You don’t get the sense that they are there just to make the tree beautiful. That’s just a bonus.
73.Nic Cage yells about animals.
Zoology has always been interesting to me. Nature is fascinating. – Nicolas Cage
Even the raging Nic Cage loves nature. He has a real appreciation for animals. Before acting, he considered pursuing a career in zoology. Considering his tone of voice when angry, it’s probably a good thing for the animals that the whole acting thing worked out pretty well.
74.Charles Lindbergh senses a miracle.
In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia. – Charles Lindbergh
Nature gives us our sense of purpose and our source of life. There is nothing without the natural world. Long before we built giant flying machines, we lived off the earth. We took what the great Mother Nature gave us and built a life. Then, we started making flying machines and the Internet.
75.Bertrand Russell makes an odd discovery.
I’ve made an odd discovery. Every time I talk to a savant I feel quite sure that happiness is no longer a possibility. Yet when I talk with my gardener, I’m convinced of the opposite. – Bertrand Russell
It seems that when you speak with someone who is an expert in only one thing, you begin to lose hope in humanity. When you shift your perspective and begin to think about the beautiful things that surround you, even in your own front yard, all hope can be restored and even fostered.
76.The Duke doesn’t see gray skies.
Gray skies are just clouds passing over. – Duke Ellington
Storms can be sad. If we linger in the darkness that the clouds bring, we can get lost in that sense of despair. Instead, we should find the beauty in the rain and the life that it brings. The water cycle makes life spring forth.
77.Forster wants nature daily.
What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives? – E. M. Forster
Every single day we should take a moment to appreciate the world around us. Instead of just hustling and bustling down the street to the next stop, we should take a moment to take in the beauty around us. Those stars are lights that are millions and billions of miles away burning, just to make other worlds out there shine a little.
78.Bluebirds are pretty strong.
The bluebird carries the sky on his back. – Henry David Thoreau
In a sense, the bluebirds carry the sky on their backs. I think Thoreau wants us to realize that nature is all connected. The birds bring the sky to us in the sense that without them, we might not even notice it. Today, we probably notice airplanes more than birds, but it sure isn’t nearly as poetic.
79.Even Helen Keller sees the beauty of nature.
To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. – Helen Keller
There’s nothing that can compare to the simplicity of walking outside with bare feet. When all you have is your sense of touch, it is probably one of the greatest joys in life. I’m sure that walking around outside was one of Helen’s favorite pastimes.
80.Honore de Balzac sees the symbolic nature of clouds.
Clouds symbolize the veils that shroud God. – Honore de Balzac
The sky is one of the great wonders of the natural world. During the day, it can be so relaxing to watch the clouds float by overhead. It’s even better to imagine what they are hiding behind them. Perhaps they do shroud the mystery of the divine.
81.Henry Ward Beecher loves the sweet flowers.
Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into. – Henry Ward Beecher
Some would argue that flowers do indeed have a soul. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, I think we can all agree that flowers are pretty sweet. Whether you appreciate them for their soft sweet scent or the beautiful colors they add to our landscape, they definitely make our day a bit brighter.
82.Jane Austen doesn’t throw shade.
To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment. – Jane Austen
Lush green is one of the most brilliant things to observe in all the world. Without the shade and a cup of tea (or coffee) it isn’t quite the same. However, you have to experience what Ms. Austen is talking about to truly understand where she’s coming from.
83.Tagore hears the trees’ voices.
Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven. – Rabindranath Tagore
The trees are reaching skyward like they are trying to get to the heavens. The divine is waiting to hear from the earth and the trees are trying to fulfill that desire. In the Bible it says that the trees and the rocks will cry out to God even if we don’t. Maybe they are making up for those of us who choose to rest on Sundays.
84.Percy Bysshe Shelley waits for spring.
O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind? – Percy Bysshe Shelley
We all get so locked into Spring. We even have a holiday that is just to see how close Spring will come to the rescue. It doesn’t make any sense with the whole groundhog and the shadow thing. Either way, let’s start to find the beauty in winter, even if it is all a bit gray.
85.Life is very short.
Human life is as evanescent as the morning dew or a flash of lightning. – Samuel Butler
Our life is not long. All of human existence is a flash in the pan compared to the history of the universe. From the beginning of life to now, we are just the most recent chapter of life. There may even be something after us. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the world around us before it’s as gone as we are.
86.Nature doesn’t forgive so easy.
There is no forgiveness in nature. – Ugo Betti
Nature is focused primarily on giving a consequence. In the animal kingdom, it’s easy to see the consequences of nature. If you are in the path of a hungry lioness and you are a wildabeast, you are going down. If you are grass in the shade of an oak, you may never get started. There’s not a lot of wiggle room.
87.Van Gogh gets religion.
When I have a terrible need of – shall I say the word – religion. Then I go out and paint the stars. – Vincent Van Gogh
On Sundays, wouldn’t it be better if we focused on getting out our brushes and getting into nature? We should take the time to reflect on what’s around us and what’s inside us. Then we should mesh those things together. Chances are the only way you have time to read a list this long is because it’s a weekend.
88.William Hazlitt sees with his heart.
We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts. – William Hazlitt
The first way we see nature is with our eyes. Then, we must take it deeper into ourselves. It becomes a part of our very thoughts and our very being. When you connect with nature, you open a path to your heart. That relationship becomes vital to you like any other relationship in life.
89.D. H. Laurence thinks flowers are a bit dirty.
The fairest thing in nature, a flower, still has its roots in earth and manure. – D. H. Laurence
When you look at the simplest parts of nature, a flower, it is still grounded. How true must it be for complex beings like ourselves? Shouldn’t we be grounded in the soil as well? We must put our roots in the earth and consider ourselves to be at one with the earth. I don’t know about the manure part thought.
90.Antoine Lavoisier has an outdoor lab.
I consider nature a vast chemical laboratory in which all kinds of composition and decompositions are formed. – Antoine Lavoisier
Science experiments are all about nature. The whole point of science is so that we can better understand nature. All these science and math minds are obsessed with nature because they want to understand nature from a logical and methodical perspective, not just see it for the pretty colors and plants.
91.Emily Carr watches the trees.
Trees love to toss and sway; they make such happy noises. – Emily Carr
Trees are huge. Literally. Some of them are big enough to drive through. Some of them are small enough to put in your window sill. There’s nothing better than to sit and listen to the wind blowing through the trees and watch them move. It’s almost like they are talking to each other and even to us.
92.Audubon follows nature.
During all these years there existed within me a tendency to follow Nature in her walks. – John James Audubon
John is the same Audubon that the bird society takes its name from. He was the original birder. The truth is that he was a lover of nature and he got sucked into the whole bird thing as an afterthought. Now we honor his legacy by having groups of people track the birds they’ve seen.
93.Manet colors outside the lines.
There are no lines in nature, only areas of colour, one against another. – Edouard Manet
Manet made a name for himself for never having lines in his work. Well, he was also often confused with Monet and perhaps got a bit of fame by happenstance. The fact remains that he was simply mimicking nature as best he could. He tried to find a way to convey the smoothness of nature.
94.Alex Trebek has all the answers.
If you can’t be in awe of Mother Nature, there’s something wrong with you. – Alex Trebek
Mother Nature is everything. She can be our mentor, our teacher, our caregiver, our provider. There is nothing on this planet that is not ordained by the divine. When you stand at the top of a mountain and take in the view, there is not much you can do but have your breath taken away.
95.Alice Walker loves the imperfections.
In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful. – Alice Walker
This paradox is so true. Nothing is ever perfect, but that’s what makes it so perfect. In modern society, we strive to have everything perfect from our eyeliner to our outfits. We want everything to look perfectly placed. We love nature because there is no perfection and no facade.
96.Christian Dior is a natural.
You can never really go wrong if you take nature as an example. – Christian Dior
Nature is the best original to make copies of. Even designer Christian Dior uses nature to find his design. It might not seem like he’s modeling his work after nature, but don’t forget to see all the flowers and animals that he’s using.
97.Alfred Sisley appreciates art.
I like all those painters who loved and had a strong feeling for nature. – Alfred Sisley
The best artists took nature and made it into something different. Salvador Dali had the most beautiful landscapes that incorporated odd geometric shapes and shifting, melted perspectives to change the entire message of the work. The same can be said of Van Gogh. All of the greats had a true love and obsession with nature.
98.Nature creates divine art.
The course of Nature is the art of God. – Edward Young
Indeed we are getting yet another redundant message. God is an artist and nature is his masterpiece. Don’t overlook all the stars and planets and other galaxies. There could be other worlds out there full of even more divine artwork waiting for us to discover it.
99.The Huxleys were very religious.
My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing. – Aldous Huxley
This list is a great way to get rid of that Catholic conscience. There’s no need to get up extra early. Instead, plan a trip to the mountains. Return to walking like the great thinkers of previous generations. We might make a better contribution to the world.
100. Bill Watterson wants to change the world.
If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently. – Bill Watterson
Make it a point to sit outside and look at the stars every night for a week. If you can’t do it this week, try to next week. If you can’t do it all 7 nights, try 3 or 4. Take a few minutes while you read all of the great lists on Brightdrops and sit on the balcony, porch, or deck.
101. Oliver Cromwell has an apple a day.
Nature can do more than physicians. – Oliver Cromwell
When you begin to spend time outside, you feel better. You can ask just about anyone that is outdoors often. When you are in the sun and in the open air, you begin to open up a bit more. The truth is that you probably make healthier hobby and diet decisions, too. Regardless, you will feel much better.
102. Thoreau never needed Xanax.
There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature. – Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau felt that anxiety was washed away in the presence of nature. This is probably true. You can’t be terribly anxious about the season finale of Law & Order while you’re focused on starting a fire. You have to have different priorities when you are outside whether you’re surviving in the wilderness or just sitting on your porch.
103. Dante’s divine comedy.
Nature is the art of God. – Dante Alighieri
Dante made the divine comedy. He also observed the beauty of nature and credited that creation to God himself. We are a part of that art and we should take that responsibility with the utmost sincerity. We should be the caretakers for nature. Appreciate what is around us and what we have been given.
104. Emerson finds humor in nature.
The earth laughs in flowers. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Flowers spring forth from the earth, looking like brilliant bits of laughter. The earth is peppered with little bursts of color and sweetness. It’s good that the earth laughs. It does remind us not to take things so seriously. So don’t get carried away with carbon offsets. Just enjoy the outdoors when you can.
105. Emily Dickinson loves company.
How strange that nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude! – Emily Dickinson
Nature never comes over and invites itself. It is always there. You’ll never feel as if you need to get rid of nature. Instead, you’ll wish you never have to leave. Take a few moments to find what you love most about nature. Now go experience that beauty for yourself first hand.
