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Wander a whole summer if you can. Thousands of God's blessings will search you and soak you as if you were a sponge, and the big days will go by uncounted. If you are business-tangled and so burdened by duty that only weeks can be got out of the heavy laden year, give a month at least. The time will not be taken from the sum of life. Instead of shortening, it will indefinitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal.

John Muir#72

NatureLifeTimeLeisure

About this quote

What does it mean?
Spending extended time in nature enriches life beyond measure, making time feel longer and more meaningful.
In plain terms
Long trips into nature make life feel fuller and longer.
What can you take from it?
Time in nature expands the sense of living fully.

Where it applies

  • vacation planning
  • burnout prevention
  • spiritual practice

Putting it to work

  • plan extended nature trips
  • prioritize leisure
  • disconnect from work

Questions to consider

  • How does time in nature change your perspective?
  • What would a month in the wild look like for you?

Another view

Extended wilderness access is a privilege not available to all.

More from John Muir

  1. Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and …

    Permalink to quote #71
  2. We all travel the milky way together, trees and men... trees are travellers, in the ordinary sense. They make journeys, not very extensive ones, it is true: bu…

    Permalink to quote #73
  3. These temple-destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the mo…

    Permalink to quote #70

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