“Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being.”
– Eckhart Tolle
Insights From Mt. Takao
Of all the weird natural systems on the planet, I thought I was over mushrooms. I really did.
Turns out though, we’re back in love. And yes, today I will subject you to that obsession.
On a strictly academic mission, I climbed Mt. Takao, and got to have a lot of fun drawing different geological features and eating sweet treats (it’s a hard life, I know).
From that trip- one of the best homework assignments I have ever had to do- I gained some random insights, as many silly backpackers do when swearing off mainstream society and disappearing into the woods.
If you’re wondering about the deep theme of these insights, don’t bother, because there isn’t one.
Rather, I decided to draw from my favorite moment on the trip: the oyster mushroom.
Me sitting on the forest floor, drawing a mushroom
#1: Systems thinking
It was when I started to see mushrooms cropping up everywhere, and eventually sat on the cool shaded forest floor to draw a few by hand, that it really struck me: this cute little mushroom, right here before me in its dark non-plant-non-animal glory, was part of a huge planetary system that made the perfect conditions for it to end up before me.
I mean, stop and think about this: mushrooms require particular soil conditions, particular temperatures and moisture, and it’s even larger systems that manufacture these conditions.
You can zoom out and zoom in, and on all different scales, you can explain the simple presence of a mushroom on the ground.
Then I thought about it some more, crouched there as one with the little white oyster mushroom, and felt it was a tragedy that when we think about the world around us, it’s often easy to forget about the systems things are made up of.
Be a systems thinker.
So what is there to do?
Try what I did. Choose one object- an apple, an ear bud, your half-eaten sandwich…
Zoom out to the biggest force you can think of that brought that single thing to where it is now.
Now zoom in. How was your sandwich made – from the bread to the seedling that ended up creative that tomato slice?
#2: Fast-track to replenishing creativity.
There is nothing like a long train ride followed by a long hike to really clear your head.
On my way to Mt. Takao, I enjoyed this uninterrupted hour of time on my Kindle, reading about plant leaves and atmospheric gases in David Beerling’s Emerald Planet as my friends napped in their seats.
It was peaceful, quiet, and I got to let my mind wander along different trains of thought.
On the trail, it was the same.
I marveled at the trees, stopping every five steps to take yet another photo of a ravine, towering cedar tree, or translucent spider web.
But, once again, I had hours upon hours of time to just think.
No music, no notifications, no to-do list besides keep watching until you reach the top.
By the time I got back to Tokyo though, I had several new notes on various projects, random tangents, and interesting questions to look up when I got home.
Make time to think uninterrupted.
One of the best systems, I realized, to create emptiness in which to nurture the baby seedlings of your creative garden, is to do something where the emptiness is a natural byproduct.
Hiking is like that. Showering is like that. Reading is like that. Sometimes, even household chores are like that.
When you do something where you mind can detach from the nagging expectations of a looming Google Calendar block, your creativity will step in and have a play.
There are probably already tasks like that for you, and you might not even notice it.
Next time, pay attention as your mind wanders. Savor the creative play.
#3: Nature is therapy.
In the deep cavernous well that is my camera roll, there lies a meme.
On one side is a gray-skinned, sleep-deprived cartoon with bags under their eyes, asking Jesus, “Is this it? Is this the hardest test you have for me?” Jesus replies, “You literally just have to put your phone down and go outside.”
It’s funny, but accurate.
Why are we always surprised that when we hide from the sun and spend twelve hours a day in front of a screen, we also happen to feel miserable and depressed?
Truth be told, humans weren’t designed to stare at screens. We were made to hike through forests, draw tiny mushrooms, and gaze in wonder at a deep green range of mountains. It’s what humans have been doing for millions of years.
Nonetheless, I am still impressed at just how rejuvenating it feels to have a day outside, my phone tucked away at the bottom of my backpack, where the Notification Bird can’t get to me.
Put down your phone and go outside.
It’s hard to get away from screens- whether it’s your phone, or the laptop where you work all day.
Still it’s worth making a deliberate effort, because your stress, worry, and constant existential dread will melt away.
To make it more fun, take someone adventuring with you. Make it fun and easy. Bring a notepad.
Maybe, like me, you will end up crouched in front of a mushroom, amazed at the multitudes it contains.
Thought To Action
- Map the Impossible: Write down three “too big” ideas you’d pursue if fear, money, or skill weren’t limits. Circle one. Start with the smallest visible step.
- Use Tech Intentionally: Schedule a daily “digital audit”—10 minutes to check what tools you actually use to create versus to consume. (See this guide to mindful tech habits).
- Build an Independent Study Track: Pick a theme you want to master this year (creativity, AI, storytelling) and design your own syllabus—books, podcasts, projects, mentors.
- Pair Reading with Doing: For every chapter you read, add one experiment to test the idea in real life.
- Reflect in Reverse: Once a week, ask: “What did I not do because I underestimated myself?”—then do one of those things, badly but bravely.
Sources
No external sources were used for this post.
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