It was an ordinary day and I was on a bike ride travelling on a muddy bridleway through some fields. I had found myself slipping into thinking about distance, time and my Strava account and was feeling the pressure to not make it look like I had struggled up the hills for anyone who could be bothered to look at my stats. This is an unhealthy habit I got into a couple of years ago and I have tried hard to just focus on enjoying the ride so was berating myself for getting caught in the performance trip again! Something caught my eye—a pile of manure at the edge of a potato field. It wasn’t the kind of thing that would usually stand out, but as I pedaled past, I noticed something remarkable: funghi.
Not just a few, but a whole group of them, bursting up from the decaying pile of dung, their delicate caps rising like tiny, otherworldly umbrellas. I stopped my bike, my curiosity piqued. How could something so beautiful, so intricately formed, grow from something so… messy? What a great motivation to stop mid-hill!
As I stood there looking at the little fellas, it struck me—growth is everywhere, and sometimes, the most unexpected places are where it happens. Even in the middle of what we might see as “mess.” I couldn’t help but think about how our own personal growth often comes from times of difficulty, challenge, or disorder—much like those funghi, which had found their way through layers of refuse. My biking had got easier once I distracted myself from performance goals on EVERY ride.
A Moment to Appreciate the Mess
I decided to sit down beside the pile of manure, taking in the scene with all of my senses. The earthy scent of the soil mixed with the musky smell of manure, the quiet sound of birds overhead, and the warm sun on my skin made the moment strangely peaceful. As I watched the funghi in detail, I found myself marveling at their otherworldly appearance—the way the light hit the mushroom caps, casting shadows that made them look like alien structures, so intricate and alien yet so perfectly a part of this world.
I spent a good few minutes simply observing, allowing the beauty to sink in. And that’s when it hit me—the mess, the chaos, the “dung” of life, is often where we experience growth. Like these mushrooms, we can thrive when we allow ourselves to embrace life’s messiness rather than shy away from it. Nature has a way of showing us that growth is not linear, nor is it always neat or tidy. Sometimes, it’s in the roughest of places that the most beautiful things emerge.
The Wonders of Fungi
Funghi, I know, are incredible little organisms. They play a vital role in the ecosystem, breaking down organic matter and transforming it into nutrients that nourish the soil. Without fungi, we’d have a much harder time recycling organic matter, and the earth would become overrun with decaying material. Fungi, in many ways, are nature’s cleaners and recyclers, reminding us of the beauty of renewal and the importance of transformation.
Interestingly, mushrooms and fungi also have significant health benefits for humans. Many varieties are packed with antioxidants, immune-boosting properties, and even have medicinal uses. For example, Reishi mushrooms are known for their calming effects, while Chaga mushrooms are often touted for their anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s amazing how something that begins in the “mess” of decaying material can have such powerful and healing effects on our own bodies.
What’s more, fungi have a way of connecting different aspects of nature—like an underground web, they link trees, plants, and even other fungi in a network that keeps ecosystems balanced and thriving. There’s something deeply metaphorical about that; the idea that our connections, even through the messiest, most challenging times, are what allow us to grow, thrive, and transform. Want to know more about funghi? Check this out:
Playing with Perspective: Finding Beauty in the Everyday
As I sat there, taking pictures of the mushrooms from different angles, I realised something else: sometimes, in order to truly see the beauty in life, we need to shift our perspective. I began experimenting with different camera angles—shooting close-ups, adjusting focus, capturing the light in different ways. The mushrooms, which at first glance seemed ordinary, now appeared extraordinary. From a different view, I saw how the light shimmered on their caps, how they seemed to glow from within, like tiny little worlds in themselves. It was a good break from the bike and I was grateful for the distraction.
It’s easy to overlook the quiet moments in life, the subtle changes, or even the challenges that seem inconvenient or unpleasant at first. But when we take the time to sit with them, to observe, and to appreciate, we can see the beauty and the potential for growth in every moment.
The Mess is Part of the Journey
So what can we learn from these mushrooms growing in a pile of manure? First, that growth often comes from unexpected, even uncomfortable places. Life’s challenges, struggles, and moments of chaos are often the soil from which we grow stronger, more resilient, and more compassionate. Second, that there’s beauty to be found in everything, if we’re willing to slow down and look at it from a different perspective (and not just whizz past on the bike). And third, that nature has an uncanny way of showing us the way forward—whether through fungi that help regenerate the earth or through the small moments of quiet reflection that allow us to regenerate ourselves.
Next time you find yourself facing a challenge or walking past a messy situation—remember the mushrooms. Look closer, take a moment to appreciate the life and beauty around you, and trust that even in the most unlikely places, growth is happening.