Our Wild Calling Summary

If you have a feeling that something’s missing from your life, yet can’t really put a finger on it, Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives—and Save Theirs by Richard Louv might be the book for you. 

The author addresses the urge all humans have to reconnect with nature and its earthlings, an urge often repressed in today’s society.  The beauty behind reconnecting with the natural world lies within our native inclination to gravitate towards our rawest, purest form. By doing so, we improve our self-awareness and become more grounded. 

Plus, the benefits that arise from spending more time in nature go far beyond improved health, including a sense of reconnection with oneself and a clearer, more peaceful mind. 

1. Connecting with animals can help us tame loneliness. 
2. Humans are quite similar to animals, sharing common motivators. 
3. Our planet needs us just as much as we need it, so it’s our duty to protect it.

Animals are a God-given gift to our planet. Everything about them is remarkable if you allow yourself to notice it and immerse yourself in their beauty. As the author suggests, in order to reconnect with nature and your wild side, you must connect yourself to animals first. 

As such, make sure to take a day off and explore your natural surroundings. How? Let me explain! Once you step foot in nature, detach yourself from all your thoughts and worries, and simply focus on whatever you see. 

Whether there’s a group of squirrels around you, a fox, a small lizard, or any animal at all, just explore their beauty, look for inspiration in their little routines, and try to connect with them. You can talk, follow, play with them, or do whatever makes you happy when you’re around them. 

The connection humans have with animals goes way back to ancestral times . Our co-dependence existed from the beginning when our species would live together and share common practices. The fondness we have towards them is extremely powerful and lasts to our days. 

Just look at all pet owners who consider their little animals like their family members. It’s only natural for us to form connections with other species, so in order to live a healthier and happier life, take some time to connect with them.

Rene Descartes was a French philosopher in the seventeenth century. Although he discovered some brilliant philosophical facts, he also came up with a rather disappointing concept – that animals were resources to exploit for the development of humans, and they exist to serve humans such as robots. 

Naturally, the convenience of this idea was enough to make everyone adopt this philosophy. Since then, people alienated themselves from animals more and more, creating a society based on consumption and making us lose our sense of connectivity with them .

However, recent studies suggest that humans and animals are more similar than we might’ve thought. Dogs, for example, are social animals, just like us. They crave a sense of belongingness and live well in communities. 

We also share similar motivators with animals. Moreover, we have a shared sense of identity that makes our encounters feel natural and happy, and if we see that an animal is hurting, we feel for them.

If we manage to once again let humans and animals coexist and contribute to each other’s happiness, we’ll be one step closer to becoming more grounded and fulfilled.

Not all change has to be groundbreaking and monumental. Sometimes a small act of kindness and consideration can improve everything around us. Think of a bird that can get trapped in a plastic foil and die or a turtle that may get caught up in other types of residue. 

However, if we pay more attention to our planet and clear our waste whenever we get a chance, we might be one step closer to saving the world.

Nowadays, people seem to be too interested in profits, and forget about the bigger picture: this planet is our only home, and if we don’t maintain it, there’s not going to be another one waiting for us. 

Therefore, we must mobilize ourselves and educate our communities to reduce waste, recycle, and nurture our fauna. With a little bit of empathy and a strong sense of responsibility, we can bring the necessary change to our society. 

The ecophilosopher Glenn Albrecht developed a concept named solophilia, which implies that if we help our environment and take care of our animals, we’ll help ourselves. 

This philosophy proves how a series of actions can dictate our quality of life on this planet, so it’s truly up to each and every one of us to take action and do away with the detrimental actions we make every day.

Our Wild Calling highlights the importance of having a connection with nature, animals, and all earthlings in general. By reconnecting with our roots in the natural world, something remarkable clicks in our brain, which in turn makes us feel less stressed, less anxious, and more grounded. 

This book will teach you how to observe the beauty of nature, recall your wild side, and connect with the world as it is – raw, healing, and eternal. Frankly, this is a must-read for every modern, busy human stuck in the digital era, and not only.

The 30-year-old office worker who feels like they’re spending too much time inside their walls, the 24-year-old person who wants to connect with nature on a deeper level, and anyone approaching retirement, which they’d like to use to spend more time outside.