January 1

On this day people commonly make resolutions to change their behavior. Self-improvement is a worthy goal, of course—but in nature, the eagle and the swan don’t appraise themselves and resolve to be perfect from this point forward. “Perfection” is actually a human concept that the rest of nature may well ignore. From the human perspective, “perfection” is often thought of in terms of symmetry, but nothing in the world is truly symmetrical. More and more people are abandoning the classical ideal of perfect symmetry and, instead, focusing on appreciating Nature as it is. Think, for example, about the difference between modern dance and ballet—while ballet urges dancers to go beyond their physicality toward abstract perfection, modern dance celebrates the body as it is. So go ahead, resolve to be a perfect person—but acknowledge that your flaws are what make you part of nature. As Leonard Cohen sings, “There is a crack in everything . . . that’s where the light comes in.”

"A graceful and inspiring book of wisdom culled from the worlds of spirit and science, philosophy and art. Brian Nelson’s daily musings remind us of both the responsibility and the humanity we share on this earth – and within the embrace of the cosmos."

—Aimee Liu, author of Flash House and Cloud Mountain

"Like sailing across a river of light, Brian Nelson's Earthbound is a journey of awareness and hope; a gentle, passionate song of unity with nature and understanding of men, of tolerance and faith and the everlasting truth each of us holds in his soul."

—Gina Nahai, author of Sunday's Silence

“Earth Bound urges you to look at the things you pass by, to see connections you didn't think possible. What makes Brian Nelson 's book so remarkable is not what he says but what he asks. He applies a gentle Socratic method not only to the reader but to nature itself, and the result is a dialogue, between the book and reader, the reader and nature. This is the perfect book for those who want a single bright spark each day, to start their own internal candles burning.”

—Peter Sagal, Host, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, National Public Radio