How can nature reduce stress, increase connection, and bring a sense of peace?

Welcome to this episode of the #6 ranked stress podcast, where we explore ways to manage stress and live a happier, healthier life.  In today's episode, Lindsay talks with Dan Clouser, a sports enthusiast who decided to leave his job at the sports non-profit he'd created to travel the country in an RV with his wife and golden retriever.  Lindsay Miller, a stress management expert will help us explore how Dan's journey can help us manage stress.

Segment 1: Dan's Journey

In this segment, Dan shares his story of leaving his job and traveling the country in an RV. He talks about the challenges he faced, the people he met, and the lessons he learned along the way. Dan shares how he found a sense of connection and purpose during his journey.

Segment 2: Nature and Stress

Lindsay and Dan explore how nature can help us manage stress. They talk about the benefits of spending time in nature, including reduced anxiety and improved mood. Lindsay and Dan discuss how being in nature can help us feel more connected and grounded.

Segment 3: Connection and Community

In this segment, Dan shares how his journey helped him realize that we're all connected and how important community is. He talks about the people he met on the road and how they helped him feel a sense of belonging. Lindsay and Dan discuss how building connections and community can help us manage stress and feel more fulfilled in our lives.

Segment 4: Takeaways

In this final segment, Lindsay and Dan share their key takeaways from the conversation. They talk about the importance of connection, community, and nature in managing stress and finding purpose. Dan encourages listeners to take a chance and explore the world around them, even if it means stepping outside their comfort zone.

Conclusion:

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Stress Nanny podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review us on your favorite podcast platform. And don't forget to join us next time as we explore more ways to manage stress and live a happier, healthier life.

Dan Clouser founded and ran a nonprofit youth sports organization for over 30 years called the Berkshire Baseball & Softball Club, which later became the BIG Vision Foundation.  He loved every second of what he did.  Then in 2019, he and his wife, Sandy decided to leave their comfort zone and start a new journey selling most of their material things and setting out across this beautiful country in an RV with their golden retriever, Youkilis.  Dan loves sharing his story on his website!  You can also find on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Lindsay Miller is a kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not playing catch with her daughter or  rollerblading on local trails with her hu

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks and playful laugh. When she's not playing catch with her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here.

Transcript

Lindsay Miller  0:07  
You're listening to The Stress Nanny podcast and I'm your host, Lindsay Miller. I'm here to help you keep an eye on your family stress levels. In our fast paced lives, the ability to manage stress has never been more important for kids or adults. When it comes to stress, we have two choices we can decrease stress or increase our resilience to it. Here on the number eight ranked stress podcast, I interview experts and share insights to help you do both. When you tune in each week, you'll bring your stress levels down and your resilience up so that stress doesn't get in the way of you living your best life. I'm so glad you're here. 

Hey, there this is Lindsay. Thanks so much for joining me on the podcast today. I am so excited to share this episode with you, I was able to speak with Dan Clouser. And Dan is living such a unique life right now being able to spend a ton of time out in nature. And with spring coming up and a lot of families looking forward to or experiencing spring break. I thought this reminder about the powerful benefits of nature would be a fun, a fun conversation to share. One of the things that Dan is going to talk about is the way like he's grounded in nature, but also the way he's able to connect with other people in a different way when he's in nature. So just something to keep in mind as you listen and then as you think through any experiences that you're either planning or experiencing right now, out in nature. Onto the episode. 

Welcome to The Stress Nanny podcast. I'm your host, Lindsay Miller and I'm so delighted that you're here for my chat with Dan Clouser. Dan is an author, blogger, podcast hosts, speaker and consultant. He founded and ran a nonprofit youth sports organization for over 30 years. He ran team programs, tournaments and an 130 acre sports complex. While he loved every second of what he did, working with kids teaching them leadership skills and life lessons through sports and community service. He felt in 2019 a calling from God for his wife, Sandy and himself. They decided to leave their comfort zone and start a new journey, a literal journey, selling most of their material things and setting out across the beautiful country in an RV with their golden retriever. It sounds crazy. But it was also destined to happen because he was raised by his mom who was a free spirit who quit her job and embarked on her own journey in the mid 1980s ski talks to people all over the country. And like the famous song, the journey of my mother son says when many little people in many little places, do many little things, then the whole world changes. So Dan is embarking on this journey to collect stories share insights and interactions, the people that he connects with. Some of the people are famous, some of the people are not, but all the people are making a difference. So we'll have stories about a sports theme or spiritual theme others about music, food, travel, but all of them are just about the little places and people that he meets along the way. So today we're going to talk about nature and being outside and how his travels have impacted his ability to be mindful, and how it's informed his perspective on the world and the people in it. Dan, thank you so much for joining me.

Dan Clouser  3:21  
Thanks for having me, Lindsay. Looking forward to the conversation.

Lindsay Miller  3:25  
Yeah, me too. Okay, so first of all, talk to me about this choice. I mean, it sounds like you were pretty grounded in this world of your nonprofit, it was sports, that was your thing. I mean, you just felt really settled in what you were doing. And all of a sudden, you just felt an inclination to do something like dramatically different.

Dan Clouser  3:44  
Yeah, yeah. And it's funny, because, you know, if you were to talk to me in 2018, I would have, you know, told you that I would end up dying, doing what I was doing, you know, running this nonprofit organization. I'd started when I was 20 years old, and, you know, just absolutely loved every second of what I was doing. And you know, we were making a huge impact on kids. And, you know, as you mentioned in the intro, you know, my mom was a bit of a free spirit. And she kind of did all this travel on her own. And I always admired her story. And I love telling people about what she did. But never in a million years would I have thought that I would be following in her footsteps. And then I took two solo trips in 2019, one to Dallas, Texas, and then overthrew Sulphur, Louisiana and back to Pennsylvania, and another one to Orlando, Florida and back. And on those two trips, I think I finally figured out why she had done it. It was one of the first times in my life that I actually enjoyed the journey. Most of the times, we did a lot of travel with our organization, but it was always a very regimented schedule. So we had to be at, you know, this certain place at this time, the next place at this time, and it was always very structured. So I never really had a chance to enjoy the journey and on those two trips, I had that opportunity. And when I got back, I was in the process of adding 10 chapters to the first book that I published back in 2012. But it was really difficult for me to find time to write, just because of my schedule, with the nonprofit organization. And again, I loved what I did, but I was working 8090 hours a week, you know. And when I got back from those two trips, I wrote, like I hadn't written in years. And when I kind of started hearing this voice, you know, saying, you know, it's time to close this chapter, and open a new chapter, you know, you did what you had to do here. Now, you can reach more people and different people through your writing, and podcasting, and that sort of stuff. And I didn't embrace it at first. But once I did, I had to get the stamp of approval from my wife, she thought I'd lost my mind initially. But now, now, here we are two plus years into it. And we are, we're loving every minute of it, like even today, when we're down in Louisiana. And to get to where we were, today, we got off the interstate and traveled some, you know, some back roads and, and got here, and, you know, a really, you know, enjoying what we're doing. So, have no regrets at this point. And, you know, love it. And it's really, you know, been able to connect me, you know, spiritually to my mom. And I know, we're going to talk a lot about, you know, being out in nature, and it's really allowed me to take that to another level. And when you talk about stress free, like, you know, it's, it's about as stress relieving as as it can be.

Lindsay Miller  6:44  
Yeah, thank you for sharing that. One of the things that I think is so poignant about your story is that sometimes we make big life changing decisions, based on being in a place where we're not happy. You know, and I think one of the striking things about your story is that you were feeling I mean, a huge sense of meaning fulfillment, you know, it wasn't that you weren't happy, you were, you know, you were doing great, but you kind of had this whisper, that there could be something different, you know, and that there was maybe like a deeper, a deeper pool of meaning that you could dive into, and it was just a matter of kind of taking the steps, you know, pass the waters where you were. And, and I think that in life, that can be the case so often, right? And you're, you know, you're talking about enjoying the journey, and how sometimes we can be at spaces where we feel like we've arrived, you know, for whatever reason, like, we've landed somewhere, it's feeling really good. We're, we're feeling engaged in what we're doing. We're passionate about, you know, the way we're living. And, and often in those places, we're not necessarily looking right for something else, because we're like, Man, I nailed it, like, I'm right, I'm here and this is it. Like, I'm living my best life. So talk to me about like, was there a sense of fear before you hit the liberation around? I mean, know, you mentioned it for your wife. And I know, you know, you said you had some apprehension, but talk to me about that process of letting go of something that was like, bringing you tons of joy, for, like, the opportunity to maybe gain even more.

Dan Clouser  8:25  
Yeah, and I tell people that all the time, it's like, I wasn't trapped in a nine to five miserable your career job, like I loved what I was doing. I loved every minute of what I was doing. So yeah, it was, you know, I was very apprehensive to start and I was scared, you know, before I even presented it to my wife, I had, you know, kind of this internal battle within myself to actually get to a point because I kept saying, you know, but, I mean, again, I started this organization, when I was 20 years old, I made the decision when I was 50 years old. So literally, you know, 60% of my life, I put my blood sweat and tears into this organization, and we were, again, we're doing amazing work, we are changing kids lives. And, you know, so there was a constant battle of, you know, how, how can there be something different, like, I literally thought this should be what I do, you know, till the day they plant me in the ground. So, there was a constant battle and then just, you know, came to a point where, you know, it turned into like, faith over fear, you know, like, Hey, this is going to be okay. It's going to work out. You know, since we've been on this journey, I have, you know, that book I was working on did get republished back in July of 2021. I've since published my second book, which came out just this past May. And I'm working on several others, kind of simultaneously. I'm working on a children's book that's actually being written through the eyes of our goal. retriever, and I'm working on, you know, Volume Two and three of the journey my mother son series, as well. So, you know that that part of me has really, you know, excelled. And the biggest blessing that we've we've had with, you know, with doing this journey is the ability for me to connect, or reconnect with some of my old players that I'd coached over the years who are, you know, scattered throughout the country. And a lot of times in youth sports, it's a pretty thankless job, like, you know, nine of the 10 emails that you get today are complaining about why isn't Johnny or Susie, you know, playing this position or getting in this spot or whatever. So it's very thankless, and there's times you question, you know why you're doing it, then this one thing happens, you're like, ah, that's why I'm doing it. And for me to be able to reconnect with these, you know, young men and women who are now adults, and are doing incredible things in the world, it's like, very rare in your life, you know, we're always out there planting seeds, we don't always get to see those seeds bloom. And that's been the biggest blessing for me is, you know, connecting these with these guys and girls, and just seeing, you know, what they're doing today and the impact that they're making and understanding that, you know, years and years ago, and they went through our program, and we kind of, you know, threw that pebble into the pond, that they're still out there making those ripple effects, you know, so that's been the greatest blessing and, again, has been one of the main reasons why I've been able to, you know, be comfortable that this was the right decision that we are, you know, we're doing what we should be doing.

Lindsay Miller  11:43  
Yeah, that gives me goosebumps, I think that I mean, what you said spoke so beautifully to parenthood to write this idea of throwing pebbles into the pond, and you know, thinking that they're going to ripple out beyond what we can see, but not knowing for sure. And I think that your words are such a strong reminder that those small daily decisions, those interactions, those times when you're ready to pull your hair out and be like, I just like, I don't want to get another email like this, I don't want to deal with another, another moment or another conflict or another, you know, just disappointment, whatever it is that there's so much being planted to mix metaphors here, in in those interactions, and in those moments, and that getting to see what has come to fruition as a result. Yeah, it just sounds amazing.

Dan Clouser  12:33  
Yeah, it truly has been truly has been when you're talking about parenthood, you know, one of the iView coaching and parenthood very similar to each other. Yeah, it's so, you know, my mom used to use a phrase where she said, You know, God only requires requires us to do two things as a parent. And that's teach our kids how to walk and how to walk away. And she said, the second one is so much more difficult than the first. And again, very similar to players, you know, you have them under your wing for, you know, four or five seasons, or, in some cases, maybe only one or two seasons, and then you got to teach them to kind of go out on their own and spread their wings. So, you know, to see how they've spread their wings and what they're doing today. Yeah, I can't even put it into words how special it is.

Lindsay Miller  13:23  
Yeah, yeah. Well, and we're gonna go into the deeper connection of people with nature, but I think the connection that you've brought up both in these stories, and then just in your work with interacting with people in the various places that you land, the connection of people to people, and how, you know, as a coach, you had the opportunity to connect with a really large scale, you know, group of people it right, it, there's just a lot exponential when you're coaching, and then now on your travels, you're connecting with people, you know, in different settings in different places, and you're just seeing humanity in a different way, which I really love. Because I think that as we tune into people, wherever they are, we see so many tendencies that just, again, make us human, right? It's like that we're, we're so much the same in so many ways, and we all have differences, but speak to me about that, about how like this, this really more intimate connection that you've had like with your players and getting to reconnect with them. And then also this broader connection with strangers, people you've never really connected with before how that's kind of informed your view of people over the last little bit.

Dan Clouser  14:36  
It's, it's really restored my faith in humanity. It really has and you know, I am very introverted by nature, which a lot of people don't necessarily though it surprises them because I do a podcast and I kind of throw myself out there at times. But I've really been able to connect with people on such a deeper level, you know, whether it's just To people we've met, you know, in a campground or on a hike or whatever the case is. And, you know, we just connected with them. Like, I often think of an old, an older couple in a campground, we were out in Florida, they were in their 80s. Carolyn Jack, she was a retired ballet teacher. I don't know what their last names were, but they were next to us, they had an issue in their RV where their water was leaking for a little bit. And we helped them out and tried to help them get it fixed. And, you know, like, before we left, they invited us into their RV and showed us around, and she gave us some soup and some, some fruit and all kinds of stuff. And they're just absolutely absolutely wonderful people, I don't know if I'll ever see them again. But they made such an incredible impact on me. And, you know, it's like you said, we, we've been able to understand that we have so much more in common than what we think than what mainstream media tells us than what our polarized society tells us that, at the end of the day, if you just take the time to sit down and have a conversation with someone, you're going to understand that you may not have 100%, you know, similar views on everything, but you have a lot more than what you think you do. And that's really what I mean, when I say it's really restored my faith in humanity, it's just, there are so many good people out there. And, you know, they just, they just want to, you know, do what they can to make the world a little bit better place and to be able to connect with them. Again, it's been very refreshing. And, you know, I don't want to beat a dead horse, but it has really restored my faith in humanity, because you watch the news, and you're like, oh, what's going on? And then you get out and you actually talk to people from all walks of life. And you're like, Well, you know what? I think we can be okay, we're gonna be okay.

Lindsay Miller  16:53  
Yeah, yeah, we'll just out of necessity, again, sometimes out of necessity. And sometimes by choice, it sounds like you know, connecting with people, you wouldn't normally, you know, talk to or be around, but simply because you're on a journey. And your goal is to connect with people, you know, that you've had, you've had so many opportunities come your way that have created connection where there could have easily been division.

Dan Clouser  17:18  
And I'll tell you that the dog helps with that, because he is an extrovert for sure. If I'm not in the mood to talk, like he'll pick people out and be like, Hey, this is somebody we gotta go talk to. And, you know, all of a sudden, we're having a, you know, 20 minute conversation in the middle of a walk about, you know, it starts with the dog and then just goes on to so many different other things.

Lindsay Miller  17:40  
Yeah, yeah, good icebreaker. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, this is slightly tangential. But I think sometimes that's all it takes. Right? Like, it just takes a little icebreaker, when we're in different situations, even like, at a soccer field I met every week or, you know, in line at a grocery store or, and I love the phrasing, use just being attuned to the opportunities, you know, like, Okay, this is a nudge or this is a, you know, I'm feeling an inclination to say something in this moment. And just seeing what, what comes of it.

Dan Clouser  18:13  
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, like, we were, we're coming across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, back in the fall, and we stopped at a little grass area, the weather wasn't great. There was a nice look out there. And I decided to go out and take some pictures. And again, the weather wasn't great. So my wife decided she was going to stay in and there's a woman there on a bike, and there was a pickup truck. You know, that said, biker ahead. So I had a feeling that, you know, she was probably biking quite a few miles that particular day. So, you know, after I took my pictures, I, you know, I mentioned to her on my way back to the RV. I was like, so how many miles are you riding today? And she goes, Oh, 55 and I was like, Wow, 55 miles? She goes, Yeah, is actually you know, I'm riding from Washington State to Delaware. And I was like, Wow, that's crazy. And she starts going into this whole thing where she was raising money for children of fallen Special Ops officers. And you know, by the time she completed this, this, right, this, this ride, she wouldn't be the oldest woman to ever ride her bike cross country at 67. I think it was 67 years old. And it was just so cool. And then we you know, we later ended up you know, connected on Facebook and I'm going to be doing a podcast with her down the road here. We're still trying to get it scheduled. But, again, just those little little passings where I knew there are some different because she had a you know, a guide so to speak, writing behind driving behind her, but never in my wildest dreams. I think that this woman would tell me she was riding her bike across.

Lindsay Miller  19:51  
Yeah, yeah. Well in just for such a like meaningful purpose, right. And that that I think, is it Again, like such a powerful way that we can connect with people, you know, in any walk of life in any setting is just tuning into the thing that brings them meaning. I was having a conversation yesterday with a woman who was wanting to take her daughter to Guatemala for a week to learn Spanish. And I had done that with my daughter when she was younger. And so I'm on like the list, you know, of referrals you can talk to, if you're thinking about doing this trip. And just as you know, this perfect stranger from Oregon, we're just chatting it up about you know, we both wanted to go to Guatemala to teach her seven year old, you know, a little more Spanish. And it was just fascinating to me, just the the meaning the ways we connected on meaning, the things that were meaningful to her and the things that were meaningful to me, and how much it was similar. You know, and I just those moments when you make those connections with people that yeah, it just must fill you with. Yeah, a lot of hope, like you're saying, in in people in general, because there's so many people doing so many incredible things. And it's not always the stories that we hear. So I'm glad you're telling them.

Dan Clouser  21:05  
Yeah, yeah. And I think that's the time where it's just awesome. It's just where you couldn't still caught up in the other 27 things that you knew you had to get done in the next, you know, X amount of hours or days or fill in the blank. But you were aware enough to stop and say, I'm going to have a conversation, and then just this beautiful connection stemmed from it. So I really do think as human beings, we just, sometimes we just need to be more aware of, you know, what's happening around us.

Lindsay Miller  21:38  
Yeah, yeah. And talk to us about how your dog has helped you do that. Because you talk about how your dog has helped you just be more mindful. And just be more tuned in and aware, talk to us about that.

Dan Clouser  21:48  
I mean, look, if you ever want to understand the best way to be in a moment you need, you need to get a dog, like, that's just as simple as this. Because, you know, we can be grumpy and miserable and not want to go out and take a hike, or we're tired or sore, or whatever the case is. And, you know, maybe the weather it's not, you know, as nice as we want it to be. But you get out there and you see the dog's reaction and you see, you know, he's just like, This is the greatest thing we could ever be doing, you know, and all of a sudden, like, all that stress, all that weight, all that stuff you're carrying is just just literally lifted. And, you know, you're able to again, appreciate that moment. And, you know, being out there and being in nature and, and being able to connect. It's just so special. So, again, anyone who's struggling with being in the moment, just go get a dog, like they'll you know, they'll teach you, they'll teach you right you right in? Absolutely. Because it can be raining, it can be cold, it can be hot. And he is absolutely in the moment all the time. And it's just like, Man, this is the greatest thing that could be going on right now. You know?

Lindsay Miller  22:59  
Yeah, yeah. Well, and I think too, and you bring this up in your work as well, like, animals invite us outside, right? Like my dogs invite me to walk outside with him every day. And so that invitation to nature, I think, is another component, right? Like animals help us dogs definitely help us be more mindful in just the way that they approach life in general, and their enthusiasm to see us their enthusiasm about everything. I mean, it's just, it's so fun. But then also, that invitation to nature, I think it's twofold, right? Because it gets us moving, but then it gets us outside. Yeah. So talk to me about how, like, just the stress relief that comes from you being outside with your wife with your dog, like just just being out in nature.

Dan Clouser  23:47  
Yeah, it's, it's amazing. And it started a little bit before, you know, we, we started traveling, I would walk him, you know, a lot, and we lived out in the country, and then we would slowly you know, just go from, you know, walking along the side of the road to getting off onto a trail and that sort of stuff. And just being out there in nature. It was just, you know, again, so comforting. And, you know, again, letting him kind of guide as well, because there's many times where we would go for a walk and I'm like, you know, I'm looking at my watch. I'm like, Alright, I have the, you know, before we started traveling a little bit now, but more so, you know, like, Okay, I've got this amount of time, so let's get we got to be, we got to be on the way and he's like, Nah, man, we're on my time. You know, I'm gonna stop and sniff and while I'm stopping and sniff and maybe you want to look around and just be aware of of all the beauty that's, that's around you. And you know, it's funny, it seems like the times when I'm most in a hurry, or the times when he's in the least hurry, you know, those are times where he's not stopping to sniff every 20 feet he's stopping to sniff Every 20 inches, you know, so, you know, again, just kind of allowing that and, and you find out that whatever you are in a hurry to get to. It's still there when you're done, you know, it's still notes like now. Now it's like, I gotta get back and I gotta edit this podcast, I gotta make sure I, you know, write this blog and get it, get it out there on the internet, and it's like, you know, what, if it didn't go out on Thursday, it can go out on Friday. So, you find that still gonna be there, you know, it's still gonna be there, it's, it can still get done. And there really isn't anything that is, you know, that important that it has to get done. Right then and right there. No, so if you just enjoy it, and, and again, you know, when you're out there, and you're able to connect, and you're able to kind of just look at, you know, all all the beauty around us. You know, it's incredible and to see, you know, how trees, you know, interact with everything around them, and how, you know, herbs and swirls, all that stuff is all connected. And to really appreciate that is so incredible. And a couple a little over a month ago now, I actually did a 20 mile hike as part of an event called mammoth March in New Jersey. And unfortunately, the weather was not great. So I didn't take the dog dog with us. His name is Euchre Youkilis for anybody who's a baseball fan he's named after the old Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis. But he's, he's up in age. So we were kinda, we weren't sure, you know, if it made sense for him to walk, you know, 10 hours in the rain. As it turned out, it didn't end up raining anyways, he was a little upset when I got back. Oh, you're out there, you're really pushing your body, but you're still still able to enjoy what's going on around you. And just that connection, and then in that case, that sense of accomplishment, like, wow, like, we just hiked, you know, 20 miles in 11 hours, or whatever the case was. And all the things we got to see and the different terrains that we were on, and all kinds of stuff, it was just, you know, until you really get out there and take the time to enjoy it. And just, again, look around you just what I was saying about, you know, taking that time to be aware of your surroundings aware of what's going on. You just come to appreciate it so much, and really understand how we're all connected. And, you know, going back to the stress relief component, like it just is so relaxing, and just so, you know, easy to, you know, be able to put things in perspective.

Lindsay Miller  27:51  
Yeah, yeah. Definitely. And I think I have this funny belief that it stems from like yoga and mindfulness and meditation, but like that, when we walk, we can connect with the earth in a way that like is stress relieving in general. But then also from like a more spiritual perspective, having the connection to the earth at the same time everyone else on Earth is connecting to it allows us to connect with each other differently. So I think sometimes when we're in nature, those connections, like we talked about can be a little bit easier with other people, because we're so close right there on the earth. But I also think just being outside gives us like a synchronicity with everyone else on the planet. That is really cool.

Dan Clouser  28:38  
Yeah. Yeah. And that's thing, like, a lot of people will say to us, you know, like, what was the adjustment, like, you know, going from a 3500 square foot house to roughly a 300 square foot. You guys are always bumping into each other. The truth is, we're not actually in the RV. That much. You know, like, when we're in a campsite, like we're out of the RV, we're out. We're in nature, we're out doing stuff. And that goes to whether you live in a, you know, just under 300 square foot RV or in a 3500 square foot house, like get out. Yeah, like get out. We're not made to be stuck inside all day. And, you know, even like our drive down here, like we were in the rain for two of the four days since we've been driving. And like just, you know, today's like the first sunshine we've had known in two days. It's like, man, like you got we got to get out like we got to get out so it just it helps us that's that's what we're, you know, being outside is what we were were made to be No, we we invented houses, we weren't born and houses. So it's great for later, but don't spend your entire life in there.

Lindsay Miller  29:51  
Yeah, yeah, that's so well put. Well, and I think too, let's talk about that. Because like there you said before, there There's been a sense of liberation that's come with, like having outside be your primary space, like you don't have a bunch of your stuff to take care of anymore. The RV needs some maintenance and care, but it's very minimal compared to what your home needed, you know, as with the yard and with the garage, and with car and all the things. So talk to me about like, the space that you feel, because like nature is your primary environment.

Dan Clouser  30:25  
I guess you could say we're minimalist at this point, because we don't have a lot. Yeah, so we don't need a lot of space for ourselves. But yet, by the same token, we have as much space as we want, when we get it out in nature. Sometimes, you know, our house is a waterfront property, and sometimes our house is a mountain top property, you know, and sometimes our houses, you know, in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel, you know, and that's all okay, because it's like, you know, that's just the way it is. So, you know, we, we aren't really confined to the space that's, you know, within the walls, the RV, or we have as much space as we want by being able to get outside and enjoy that, you know, so I don't know if that really answered your question. Oh, it did not help you're not constricted to any space when it comes down to it.

Lindsay Miller  31:20  
Yeah, no, I appreciate that perspective. And I, I think often about the idea of non attachment, and how, like, even this space that I inhabit, right now, in my house, my yard, like there have been people animals, you know, a lot of different people have occupied this space before me in in its various forms, right? It was, it was farmland, before it was houses, and how in any given space that we are in outside that it is like, we tend to have ownership right like of our house and our space. And what you're describing just sounds like such a beautiful connection with like the, the ability and the opportunity to connect with all the spaces and not be attached, you know, so, so firmly or so rigidly to one particular space, but to see and feel and experience a lot of different spaces. And I think we're as parents, that's what we are trying to help our kids do right when we travel with them, when we take them out in nature is we're trying to help them connect with the earth like, like with nature, with the cycles of nature, the, like you said, the symbiotic relationship that nature has, and there's so much richness there, that if we can kind of just break our hold on seeing nature. So specifically, and that's kind of what I was hoping for with that question, which is so beautifully addressed, like, all of it's yours. Right? Like, it's, it's like, as humans inhabiting Earth, we get access to it free, right? Like, I mean, there's some places you gotta pay for, but there's so many spaces that we can just explore and connect with, and understand, and it's just there for the taking, if we if we choose it.

Dan Clouser  33:04  
Yeah, yeah, and I think the, you know, the Native Americans are really on to what I believe is probably the correct way to look at the earth and to look at nature, you know, where they really believe that, you know, they were tenants of the land, the land wasn't, there's no, they were literally tenants of the land, which is why they did move from space to space, you know, kind of falling weather and falling food, and that sort of thing. So, I think they were really onto something when they, you know, when they did that, and, you know, I know, like for us, I mean, some of our best experiences have been, you know, kind of those completely off the cuff, unplanned things were were, you know, from point A to point B, and we have time because we usually try to leave a buffer, we try not to ever be in a hurry, we, there's times where it doesn't work, but most of the time, we are allowed to, you know, have some time when we see a sign for state park, or a community park or a county park or whatever. And we just pull in there. And, you know, there's a beautiful trail or walking path. And, you know, maybe it's deep in the woods in nature, maybe it's just around, you know, literally swing sets and stuff like that. And those have been some of our, you know, just most amazing experiences is completely unplanned, get out there, you know, you take an hour, hour and a half break, you walk around, and you come back and you get in and you start driving again. And we've seen, you know, beautiful sunset over Lake Erie in that same sense, you know, it's like, we're just coming up on a park, it's dusk, we roll in there. We're walking the dog around and, you know, get to experience this amazing sunset and just so many times that, you know, just completely unplanned, you know, walks out to a lighthouse that we saw from a distance and we end up making three wrong turns before we figure out how we actually get to the lighthouse so that we can then walk a mile to it, you know, and stuff like that had been, you know, just the The best experiences we've been able to partake of on this journey.

Lindsay Miller  35:04  
Yes. Oh, I love that. Because, like you said, at the beginning, like just engaging with the journey. And so I love that the moments of exploration and curiosity that have find have found you have been ones that you've taken, you know, and I think kids are so good at exploring and being curious, especially in nature. I think sometimes. I mean, sometimes for safety reasons, for sure, we need to rein that in, right. But other times, it's time constraints, or, you know, we're not giving ourselves a wide enough berth to kind of just engage with nature. And to be fair, I know everyone's busy. And we don't all have all the time, you know, everyone's circumstances are different. But I think that the exploration that you talked about, it yield so much, right, like you have a level of just connection with your intuition or just your sense of curiosity. And in mindfulness, we talk so much about curiosity, and how being curious about circumstances problems, you know, different situations or relationships, it can really be a sell for a lot of anxiety, just being curious. And I think there's no better place to practice curiosity than in nature.

Dan Clouser  36:14  
Yeah, yeah, without a doubt. And I think, sometimes as adults, we need to allow our inner child to go out there and explore and put that to the side. And, and I think, as parents and adults, we, we need to let our kids be the kids and go out and get dirty and get, you know, skinned up and come back with a bruise, if that's what has to happen. Because that's literally how they learn. You know, we live in this generation of so many helicopter parents, you know, where they've got to be involved with every single second of their child's existence. And that's just not that good for the kid. You know, I mean, let them go out. And, you know, let them again, let them skin their knee, let them fall down a little bit, let them you know, step into a fire ant pile and find out what that why they shouldn't step into it, and that sort of stuff. No. And I think there's too many times as parents, we're just, you know, too involved and hovering over this kids, and it doesn't do them any favors, because, you know, like, my mom said, at some point, they're gonna have to walk on their own, you know, so whether we start allowing them to do that when they're younger, or when they're 1819, or 20, or, you know, even later, at some point, they've got to figure it out on their own, you know, so we're not doing them any favors by continuously being there to pick them up and to, you know, wipe their scars form, they've got to figure it out on their own. Yeah,

Lindsay Miller  37:43  
I also, I can really appreciate that. And I also think that, like, the need for exploration isn't always timely or clean, or, like a straight line. exploration in itself is messy kind of what you're alluding to. And it's not always a clear cut path. And that's the beauty of it, right. But it also takes us leaning into a sense of uncertainty, it takes us being able to tolerate, like a different schedule, or, you know, like throwing something out the out of the schedule in order to create space for it. And ultimately, like, you're saying that the lessons learned and the moments that you experience are rich, and so full of meaning, and, you know, give you direction for the rest of your life in a lot of ways. But they don't always come conveniently, I guess, is what I'm trying to say. And so being willing to tolerate inconvenience as a, you know, like kind of a side side effect of curiosity. Like it just kind of comes with the territory. Is that what I'm hearing?

Dan Clouser  38:50  
Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Yeah, it's, it's not always going to happen in our timing, you know, and I think that's, again, as human beings, we think, we think we can control everything, but we can't, you know, but yet, there's this illusion of being able to control every aspect of what's going on in our lives. And then all of a sudden, it's like, that's not happening this way. So I think to be able to be flexible is so important. No, and again, listen to those nudges that that come along to us.

Lindsay Miller  39:22  
Yeah, yeah. Well, and in in that flexibility, it's the space we learn resilience, right? It's like when you scan your knee, or when you get a little lost on the trail, or when you know, you're trying to find that lighthouse and it takes you three tries, like eventually you get there, but you take a few wrong turns on the way and that's life. Right. But like You're like you're saying sometimes in like the the pace and efficiency of life right now, we don't have as many opportunities for learning that and I think sometimes it affects our kids in a way that increases their anxiety because they're worried about getting it right the first time because so often you do, right? But in nature and exploration, at least space for learning those things in a way that is not quite as linear as daily life might be. Yeah,

Dan Clouser  40:07  
yeah. And, you know, again, there seems to be this this shift where all of a sudden, you know, there's this narrative that failing is bail is bad. And it's like, no failing is learning, like, every time you fail, like, you know, the only time it's a true failure is if you didn't learn from it, you know, so if you're constantly failing, that's not that, you know, that's all part of the learning process, you just learn, you know, what made you fail? What do you what do you want to do the next time to, you know, prevent that failure again, and you listen, you talk to any successful person, any entrepreneur out there? And, you know, it didn't happen on their first go, you know, I mean, many times, and even people like Walt Disney and stuff like that failed multiple, multiple, multiple times before they're ever successful. You know, but yet, somehow we've, we've tried to shift that, that it's like, no, you got to be perfect. And we're just not, we're not perfect. That's just not the way we're made.

Lindsay Miller  41:09  
Yeah, so we'll put the we'll put, well, just real quick, before we go. What is it you think the most about nature that reduces stress?

Dan Clouser  41:21  
I think it's just the connection, you know, getting out there and looking at, you know, all the different angles and perspective. I know, like, there's times where if we're in a camp, if we're in a campsite, and, you know, we're there for a long period of time, and there's a couple different trails, I'll, I'll actually walk those trails, both directions. And it's amazing, sometimes, how different just one single tree or one single Bush looks from a different angle, and from a different perspective. And I think, you know, being able to try to partake and understand of all those different perspectives can always be used as a metaphor for life. And just, you know, that connection and understanding how it's all intertwine. And, you know, just learning to appreciate it or need to take the time. And absolutely appreciate, you know, while you're there.

Lindsay Miller  42:21  
Yeah, Dan, this conversation is filled with so much wisdom. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today, talk to us about how we can keep connecting with you stay apprised of your your journey.

Dan Clouser  42:35  
Absolutely. So basically, anything is through my website, which is, you know, journey, my mother's son.com or Dan cloudflare.com, they both go to the same site. It's just two different addresses. Because sometimes people get stumbled up over journey and my mother son, so it's easier to lazar.com It'll get you to the same spot. But all my blogs are there, links to my podcasts, links to purchase the books, which are also available on Amazon, you can get signed copies of the book, if that's something you're interested in directly through the website. It's all there. So if you go to the website, pretty much anything else you need to find out, you can get to from there.

Lindsay Miller  43:15  
Great. Thank you. Well, thank you for bringing us so much nature today. I love that like by being immersed in it, you can you can share it in such a rich and meaningful way. So thank you.

Dan Clouser  43:26  
Absolutely appreciate it. Thanks for having me on the show, Lindsey.

Lindsay Miller  43:29  
My pleasure. Well, what did you think? I love his story, like the bravery of it. And just the opportunity that he took to embrace something that was kind of unknown to him. And then just find beauty in the journey as he and his wife and his Pup experience the world really through the eyes of you know, their own experience. And then by connecting with other people kind of just getting a glimpse of what life is like for humanity in general. But as you're out in nature, I hope you can experience that sense of feeling grounded and just more at ease and cared for as you navigate this spring. I know it's been kind of a wild couple of years. And I think all of us could benefit from the stress relief that comes with time in nature. So hopefully, you're gonna get a healthy dose of that this spring. Until next time.

You've just finished an episode of The Stress Nanny podcast. So hopefully you feel a little more empowered when it comes to dealing with stress. Feel free to take a deep breath and let it out slowly as you go back to your day. I'm so glad you're here. If you're a longtime listener, thank you so much for your support. It really means the world to me. If you're new, I'd love to have you follow the podcast and join me each week. And no matter how long you've been listening, please share this episode with someone who was stressed out. If you enjoyed the show, would you please do me a favor and go to ratethispodcast.com/thestressnanny and leave a review the link is in the show notes I'm so grateful for all my listeners thank you again for being here. Until next time!

Transcribed by https://otter.ai