I was scheduling a coaching session with a client and was moved to ask, "Would you like to have our session in Nature?" "If so, where would you be drawn to go?" They eventually chose a nature reserve they had not yet visited. As we stepped on our path today, we are greeted with a "sign" (see picture below, hahaha).
We walked and talked, we paused to listen, see and respond. (And, honestly, I spent the first minute or two releasing sighs and tension.) We arrived in all our senses.
As our conversation unfolded, one main issue was named: all the feelings, thoughts, beliefs attached to telling clients what they charge for their services. This was connected to what is the value of their offer and, ultimately, "what is MY value", they asked.
So, we walk again with the "assignment" of looking to Nature for symbols of their gifts and value. As it turns out, they invite me to do the same. So we both look to Nature to reflect ourselves back to us. Taking turns, sharing out loud created the abundance of gifts, inspiration and affirmation. (It was remarkably easy.)
Some value, gifts we collected visually and through our senses: they see a leaf falling from a tree above, caught gently and held by a fern or by a pine branch is the way they gently hold others, without restriction and with freedom to be uniquely oneself.
I see a curved tree branch that looks like a swan and a tree stump coming out of the water that looks like a turtle reflecting back to me my ability to see symbols, find meaning and make connections. I even sometimes listen in imagery.
The observation was made that in addition to speaking our value out loud and being witnessed, we now had the imagery and felt sense experience in our embodied memory to remind us of our gifts/value.
When you are struggling to honor your own gifts, Nature says, "Nope, I see you and this is what you look like. You are amazing!"
And....you are loved. Honor to each uniquely gifted person.