Working Differently
On nature, new rhythms, and letting go of the way things “should” be done.
Happy August, my dear readership,
I hope that your summer was all that you wished for, and if it wasn’t, I hope that you managed to find some peace and glimmers in what was given to you this year. I have decided to start treating Substack slightly differently (not that I ever had a full-blown strategy), but I do feel that I haven’t used it in a way to serve the purpose that I originally intended. With Substack, as with many social media platforms, there is a very small window in the beginning where it serves the writers, creators, artists, and entrepreneurs with smaller followings (I missed that window) before it just starts working in the favor of the large accounts (unless you devote your heart and soul to a platform). I clearly haven’t done that, and when I was debating whether to stay or not, I did realize that what I care about is my small but mighty readership, the ease of the platform, and the aesthetic when it lands in your inbox. Having said all this, I’ve decided to think of it mainly as a newsletter (and forget the rest) with the hope that if it resonates with you, my readers, you all will share it with whomever you believe might benefit from the writings.
I find this interesting within our working life as well- that we so often adhere to the way things should be done or always have been done. Summer is often a time where you are forced to work slightly differently- write a newsletter from the balcony, take a work call on your forest walk, or perhaps fill out a spreadsheet from your phone on the beach. I invite you, as fall is approaching, to take some time to think about where and how you like to work the best. There is nothing that says you have to stop working this way, unless, of course, you are in Northern Europe; then the beach might quickly run out of being a good option. For me, it is always nature where I work best. I have never ever come up with a creative idea, good writing, or solved a problem in front of a computer if I’m totally honest.
On the topic of the absolute joy of nature and the relationship to it, I have the absolute honor to share this beautiful poem from Nadja with you.
barefoot along the path
one hugged by tall trees
I feel my beating heart
galloping along side my thoughts
but as I walk deeper and slower
the rhythm of my thoughts, of my heart
start to bear differently
I stop being an I and become a we
with the earth, with the trees
serving me as a reminder
that all always works out
that nothing is lost or too late
nothing is right or wrong
deep in me, I have the answers I seek
I know the way
this natural rhythm tells me to trust
that voice and feeling inside
because after all
I am a part of it
I am nature
I am earth
I am trees
Nadja is a poet and a storyteller who is drawn to nature and seasons, and is curious about living a gentler, nurturing life in the Danish countryside. She writes regularly on her Substack publication, Moss & Amber. Where she shares stories and poetry from her journal that speak to the themes of gentle growth, glimmers, magic, motherhood, nature & its seasons.
And her FIRST poetry book (eeek), Becoming Amber (both paperback and e-book), is coming out October 6th. The book traces the path through burnout and the grief that followed, toward solace in the healing rhythms of nature and its glimmers. It is a journey of acceptance and learning to accept the beauty of unpredictability. Pre-orders for the eBook can be ordered here.
I want to end this small letter by saying thank you for being here, encouraging you to enjoy nature, and please let me know (by replying to this email or commenting below) how you are planning to challenge yourself to work this fall?
What interests me most is helping people build businesses and ways of working that are sustainable not only commercially, but personally too. If that interests you as well, do get in touch.
Work with me: The Alexandra Nash
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With love,
 | A guest post by
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Lovely words, Alexandra, and thank you so much for asking me for a poem 🥰