Man is a part of nature, but often acts in quite unnatural ways. Other aspects of nature exist harmoniously within the tapestry of life without trying to be something they weren’t intended to be. Humans, however, attempt to change not only themselves, but actively work to alter the course of other lives as well.
Perhaps because of our higher level of consciousness, we feel uniquely endowed with the right to exercise free will in an attempt to change things in a way that aligns with how we think they should be, instead of allowing nature to manifest as it was intended. Obviously not all of our interference is for the worse, but how much better might the world be if we tempered our attempts to realign natures design with a little more social consciousness and humility.
Putting aside the larger issues of manmade contributions to habitat destruction, species extinction, global warming, etc., how might we begin to raise awareness of our connection to nature in a smaller, more personal context? I think we start by choosing to be the most natural, authentic version of ourselves that we can be, and then letting those choices build upon one another until we’ve reached a level of greater sensitivity toward life in general.
One way men can initiate this process of growth in their personal lives is by embracing the natural design of their own bodies. Nature intended for men to have facial hair and for it to be a distinguishing characteristic of their being. Those of us who choose to shave day after day should be getting the message that we’re working against the naturally intended manifestation of our physical existence.
Let it grow, and begin to understand the unique, individual role that we have to play and how it connects us to everything else.
BE HUMBLE…BE KIND…BE BEARDED.