“Everyone must take time to sit, and watch the leaves turn,” (Elizabeth Lawrence)
For me, the autumn season in central Ohio reminds me a great
deal of the fairytale, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” This time of the year “The
temperature is not too cold or not too hot. It’s just right.” I love the crisp
air temperature during the autumn season. I do hate all the falling leaves that
have to be dealt with. Along time ago I learned the lawn mower could mulch the
leaves so I didn’t have to rake them. Did you know this time of year can teach you
lessons in your life? Here are four of them:
A symbol of healing: The four seasons are great images of the process of
pain and healing. When life throws you into chaos you tumble into the
change and transition of autumn. When you are wounded and hurt you retreat and
hunker down in the darkness of winter. But there comes a time, just like spring
when you slowly start to re-emerge before the time comes when you finally lift your
head to the sun and emerge once again in the sunshine and laughter of summer.
Wherever you are in
this cycle try to surrender to and flow with it. Trust that there is a process
and journey to healing and rebirth. Healing is not linear. It has highs and
lows. Know that hindsight will give you many answers and that one day you will
be able to back out of a difficult time in life with insight. Often your
darkest hours are the reason you shine so brightly. What actions do you need to
take to support yourself at this time in your life?
Delight in the detail: Autumn is a beautiful time and yet most of us go about your
lives too busy and distracted to notice. You use this stunning season, as a
reminder to live more mindfully. Take a slower and more mindful pace to life
and to notice the detail. Pay attention to the colors of the sky, the falling
leaves, and the sound of frost beneath your feet. The birds songs still chirrup
bright and clear. Wherever you live, make it a habit to notice the changes
taking place in the natural world around you. Use your senses to experience autumn
in a completely new way for you.
Embrace change:
Autumn reminds you of the impermanence of life. It reminds you that change is
inevitable. You’d think that you’d be able to deal with change? Change brings
with it fear that you can go to extraordinary lengths to avoid it. Autumn shows
you that far from shunning change. Nature achieves this transition
effortlessly. Autumn shows you how to embrace change in glorious splendor. It
reminds you to accept and flow with the change. Just like the falling leaves,
you have to let go in order to move forward, grow, and heal. Periods of
transition and change are often full of pain and crisis.
The right mindset is crucial. If you can surrender to that change, trust the process, believe that God is
working with you, and that everything is happening for a reason then you can
see your pain and accept change on a more comfortable setting. You can understand
that when the time is right you will make progress in your life as you progress
forward. Is there any change in your life that you should be making right now,
or need to avoid?
Let it go:
Autumn shows you that within the cycle of life there comes a time to let go,
and release those things that no longer serve you. Human nature encourages you
to hold tightly to things and yet autumn shows you how to transition and
surrender through this process in glorious Technicolor. All too often you cling
to the past, hold your wounds tightly and get fixed and locked down with
certain habits or mindsets. All of these ultimately cause you more suffering.
Life is happier and easier when you can flow, surrender, and let go. What burdens
can you release?
“There is
nothing so stable as change.” (Bob Dylan)[i]
[i] Adapted from: “Life lessons - 4
lessons autumn can teach us” by Fiona and Gavin Namaste
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| Autumn in central Ohio |
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