Not everybody wants to listen to emotionally charged rhetoric by hyped up adrenalin fed American speakers. Some people want to learn from nature and embrace that in their lives as a pretty damn good metaphor for good living. Me too.

If you are an outdoorsy person, and you do believe in personal growth without the rhetoric, then, you are not alone in this. There are great masters such as Emerson, Plato and many Asian Masters (Lao Tzu) who are convinced that if mankind lived life according to the principles of nature, then we would be at peace with ourselves and with each other. It’s a philosophy not uncommon in the ways of the East but has yet to be fully grasped by the western world. We are hoping this modern way of presenting this ancient theme will resonate with you, irrespective of your cultural or religious background.

Celebrating nature is almost an essential tool for business execs wanting to stay resilient and healthy, it’s a gift for all who find themselves running on beaches, doing gym in a park, skating through streams or skiing down majestic slopes. We all, men and women, love nature, and benefit from playing in it.

But in personal development, the art of taking care of ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, the language is biased either to the fist pumping adrenalin seeking hype or the passivity of a peace seeking, non commercial, stop the world I want to get off, Eastern ideal. Nature provides the middle ground.

For the outdoorsy person, there’s a need to find real nuts and bolts business savvy, personally stimulating language to self-coach, and this, I feel is nature.

People are different in nature: more inspired, more generous, more open minded, and, most importantly in the context of this article, more real. Emotions, which can often block the way to good healthy business leadership, sports focus or family dynamics transform into clear thoughts in nature.

As urbanisation brings it’s way through the world (80% of people will be living in urban environments by 2020) the loss of the powerful and natural connection we all have to nature will cause more and more personal and social problems. What was once a natural experience of getting up, collecting eggs from the chicken coup, chopping wood for the fire, dealing with a few animals is now domesticated cats, dogs and the local convenience store where it may or may not be safe at night.

We need this deliberate investment in being outdoorsy people. We’ve been developing clothing brands, sports equipment, sun creams and shoes that are more and more a cross over between catwalk red carpet impractical and bush grunge. Clothing, and feeling connected to nature go hand in hand, and it’s a great move to see so many brands bringing the two worlds of work and play closer together in everyday wear. If we’re going to encourage the world to step out at lunch and walk in the park, being dressed for it becomes a primary requirement.

But it’s the language of nature that provides a great opportunity for the outdoorsy person. Moving forward into a language that is asexual but inspired is key: evolution, balance, harmony for example have replaced “the art of war” or “awakening the giant” – and interconnectedness, environment and organic have replaced “health for the worker” and “peace at work.” Unknowingly, the whole industry of personal-development has targeted masculine or feminine appeal language instead of leading the way with androgynous and true aspiration.

At last, i feel, that by working with nature, as nature, using nature as the metaphor for looking after ourselves we’ve found good fertile ground where it is no longer hallowed turf for any gender, class or creed of human. Nature, the umbrella that doesn’t change shape, the understanding that requires no guru or master, the real liberation of the human core to live reaching for the sun, and yet, with both feet firmly rooted to the earth, grounded and successful in the world of material wealth.

It’s time to move forward.