Marlene Mier on Stillness, Soil, and the Power of Living From Love

earthlove guest #6

Before starting this substack, I set out to create a word or phrase that encompasses a strong feeling I have: for humanity to move forward by reconnecting with a reciprocal relationship with nature, we must first reconnect with our love of nature within and around us. Enter earthlove: our unique expression of a deep love of the Earth. At its core, earthlove helps us remember that we are nature, not separate from it. Once we know this to be true, our lives naturally open up in magical new ways.

It’s my hope that we learn from interviews like today’s conversation, and find inspiration from the fantastic guests who express their unique earthlove in wonderful ways. We can then pose the question to ourselves: how will I share my earthlove?

We’re fortunate to have Marlene Mier as our 6th earthlove guest. A talented and respected life coach, she helps people live a life of passion, purpose, and joy by bearing witness to their journeys. Marlene herself is full of joy and curiosity for the world, and continues to guide her clients through life’s many transitions, helping lead them back to their original light. When I had the pleasure of speaking with her, it was clear that she was living her purpose. I was at ease and knew she would listen deeply—a rare skill—and without judgment—rarer still.

I could have asked Marlene 100 questions, but for the sake of her time and yours, I chose to focus on the questions from which I believe we’ll learn the most. She shares many nuggets of wisdom with the earthlove community.

Enjoy!

MA: Marlene, how do you share your earthlove (your deep love of the earth)?

MM: I engage with her daily in great reverence by being outside as much as I can. In fact, I’ve always preferred being outside than inside! I love to watch the sunrise and join her in greeting the day with hope and promise. I have a beautiful mountain park near me that I hike in daily. Watching the ever changing landscape of the sky and clouds. I love to enjoy my meals on my back porch, watching what I call Nature TV ~ there are many animals that share this sweet place with me. There is a resident groundhog, fox, birds of all varieties, black snakes, many deer, rabbits, fireflies, and a Mother bear with 3 cubs. Even though I can’t see the horizon, I love to watch the last of the sun paint the sky in pinks, purples, and oranges. Worship the moon and stars and the stillness of the night. The night songs of the frogs, cicadas, and owls bring peace to my days and tuck me in. My bedroom has two skylights and the moon loves to wake me up by shining her light in my face at all hours. I always smile and accept her caress. When I was a child, I used to move my bed to the window so the moon could hold me as I slept. Now my bed is positioned to receive the moonlight as she makes her way across the sky, still holding me in her light.

MA: If possible, describe your powerful work as a life coach in one sentence:

MM: To lovingly walk with and witness people as they remember and embody their original light.

MA: The homepage of your website features the following statement: “That which you seek will not be found ‘out there’. The truth and treasure lie within.” Can you please expand on this for us, as well as what you mean by the “Great Meander”?

MM: We have been conditioned to believe that people, society, and institutions know us better than we know ourselves. That by following their ‘truths’ we will have a great life. Ironically, life isn’t prescriptive. There is no one way to be or do things.

No one knows our mind, body, and spirit better than we do. We come into this world in a unique and brilliant light. Our soul came to this body to LIVE fully and experience all the delicious things that make us human. When we are fueled by this original light and express ourselves from it, we experience what it means to THRIVE. A life lived from this Truth is what I call the Great Meander. It doesn’t follow a straight line, nothing in nature does. It rises, falls, dips, and turns. It’s high, it’s low. It's BIG, it's small. It shows us many beautiful sights. Delivers amazing people with whom to share our experiences. Challenges us to be like nature ~ flow with the seasons and cycles organically. To allow ourselves to be a contributing part of this flow. To continually evolve our I AM from which we answer the question: What is mine to do?

MA: Climate activist Bill McKibben once said, “The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer. Hopefulness only makes sense when it doesn’t make sense to be hopeful.” What’s your reaction to this?

MM: The cynic is limited in their life experience by what they can see and by what they are told. The Miracles and Magic in life happen beyond what we can tangibly see and beyond what we know. There are infinite possibilities in every moment. How can one not be hopeful when one lives in such a Universe?

MA: Two of my heroes are my mom and Jane Goodall. Who’s one of yours and why?

MM: To me, a hero is someone who surpasses limitations ~ perceived and enforced. I am blessed daily to be connected to so many people who are embodying this. There are too many to name.

MA: I wish I knew _____ at 30 (I’m coming up on this new decade, so I have to ask!)

MM: True success is being fully expressed. It isn’t found in titles, credentials, amount of money one makes, or social status one holds.

MA: So many people are feeling the effects of this turbulent time very deeply, myself included. What would you tell all of us?

MM: Put down the screen and go outside! What we put our attention on grows. It is impossible to hold a higher frequency of love and hope when one has a constant input of fear and destruction. The true healing of these times must come from WE THE PEOPLE. Being a source of light, love, kindness, and support in our daily lives. To give this freely in our communities to connect our energies and raise us all up. Imagine if we all lived this way? The madness would have no fuel and snuff out.

MA: Why is stillness important, and what does this look like for you?

MM: One hears one’s heart and soul in stillness. It begins the moment I open my eyes and greet the sunrise with full, open hearted presence. When I reach decision points in my day, I bring my attention inward. Breathe deeply into my belly and wait to feel and hear the answer come up from my core. At the close of the day, I have a ritual that includes shutting down all screens no later than 8:30, turning off the internet, and turning off all the lights except for one soft lamp by my bed. I crawl into bed to read in silence to calm my body. When I feel my eyes getting heavy, I close the book and shut off the lamp. I close my eyes, give gratitude and review the blessings of the day. Ending each day as it began ~ in full reverence and stillness.

MA: When we spoke, you mentioned your passion for regenerative agriculture, a passion we share. This is an interview topic in itself, but please distill why treating our soil well is so important:

MM: The quality of the soil determines the quality of our food. It is the source from which all life grows. If it is barren, so are we. By regenerating and lovingly tending to our soil, we are loving humanity into its wholeness. We must be in a symbiotic relationship with our soil in order to thrive.

MA: As I said in the intro, you’ve certainly discovered your calling. For those currently uncertain of their purpose, what advice do you have?

MM: Be still with the question: Who Am I? Look below the roles, labels, qualifiers ~ who are you at your core? The purpose of life is to express this unique self fully.

MA: How can we gently encourage others to express their earthlove?

MM: Earthlove is the way we tend to all energy: our own, the earth’s, the collective. Tend all with full embodied presence.

MA: If you had to choose one word to encompass what humans and the Earth most need today, what would it be?

MM: LOVE

MA: An open space for any other message you’d like to share with our readers:

MM: Invitation to be in fullness with the infinite possibilities of life by being fully present in each and every moment!

MA: Where can our readers find you?

MM: Great Meander | Marlene Mier | Life Coach for Personal Transformation

Thanks to Free the Ocean for the ongoing support.