The Mission of Wilderness Mindset
Wilderness Mindset is the idea that we build our mindset or outlook on life based on objective reality found in nature. This objective reality can be found anywhere, but it is much easier to understand in nature because that was the original state of the world. Everything grew out of nature, including us and the civilization we have created. It makes sense that if we want to understand reality, we have to go back to the source.
Modern civilization is becoming so detached from the natural world that we are beginning to create our own virtual reality where the rules are completely different. That may be okay in the future when our very biology changes, but for now our minds and bodies are still the same as they were when humans lived in caves 10,000 years ago. Our biology is wired to respond to the stimulus found in the wilderness, not the office. We live in a world of gimmicks and tricks that prey on our natural biological reward systems. It takes a lot out of the meaning of life when a person can satisfy their most basic desires in an instant. As a result, many people today have everything that our ancestors dreamed of having yet they are unsatisfied with life.
When we go into the wilderness we are back in the environment that our biology has been calibrated for. Physical comfort is hard to attain and therefore more rewarding when it is obtained. We learn to appreciate the simplest of things that are normally taken for granted. We find out that we actually need very little to be happy. In the wilderness, the distractions are gone and nothing is fighting for our attention. Everything that’s out there is just there and it doesn’t care about us. It’s up to us to determine what it all means, so we learn to think for ourselves. There are long periods of silence in nature and there is finally time to look within.
All of these factors add up to a deeper connection with reality and by extension a more meaningful existence. The wilderness gets us out of our heads and into the world. The goal of Wilderness Mindset is to inspire people to find their own meaningful experiences in nature. So people can fill the gap in the human soul that was created by many aspects of modern society.
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Alex Maier
I was an “outside kid” growing up, always playing in the backyard and swimming at the lake. Being outdoors was normal, but I didn’t really gain an appreciation for nature until I went to college in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Nature in the U.P. was raw and untamed, a much different experience than the domesticated nature of my youth.
During that time in my life, I was beginning to figure out who I really was, I realized that I was not a very social person and I liked being alone. The wilderness offered an environment where I felt comfortable in my own skin. The more time I spent out there, the deeper I saw within myself and the world around me. I began to find countless parallels between the way things are in nature and the way life works. Over time my whole perception of reality came to be based on the lessons I’ve learned in nature.
Coincidentally my passion for photography merged perfectly with my experiences in nature. I became obsessed with capturing what I found out there and that kept pushing me deeper into the wilderness. Thru-hiking and filming these long hikes became the ultimate form of these two passions colliding. My purpose in life is to explore the wilderness and share what I find out there with the rest of the world through videos and photos.
Amy L. Robin
I had always been interested in the outdoors. Going on camping trips when I was very young, playing in the parks, swimming, and just walking around. I didn't really dive deep into nature until I was around 18. I had moved to Montana at a young age and made new friends and eventually that got me into hunting.
It wasn't until I got into hunting that opened a whole new world. Learning hunting, bushcrafting, and navigation skills. Hunting lead me to backpacking more and more. Learning how to be on my own and comfortable in the wilderness.
With the passion and growing love of the outdoors I had always been interested in photography. Looking at the world through a lens was exciting. Having the ability to turn the world into art through a camera was a passion of mine. Along with creating jewelry and other items found around in nature.
Through the adventure of life I created my own business, blAmy Lynn by Nature. It was more of a passion and hobby rather than a job at that point. Eventually meeting Alex, we decided to combine our passions and interest and create Wilderness Mindset. Learning how to use my camera in more ways than one has been exciting and rewarding.
Everywhere I go I have my batman, Minnow. That's right, She's Batman and I'm Robin. The names fit and besides that, she calls the shots anyways. Minnow has saved my life and helped me grow in more ways than one and together we are unstoppable!
