I used to be one of those alcohol-fuelled revellers who effortlessly danced from one day to the next, feeling invincible. However, there comes a time in all of our lives where everything we know and trust changes. This curveball came in the early hours of one New Years Day, when I received a call telling me my father had died suddenly. Since that day, I have resented the anticipation and commercialisation of New Year celebrations and resolutions, and would intrepidly tread through life in fear of it’s unknown twists of fate.
With my father and a sense of security stripped from my life, it took a long passage of time before I started to reconnect with the safety of expectations; the certainty of Mother Nature’s seasons. Between Mother Nature, palliative patients, and my own life experience, I came to appreciate the importance of fully living whilst we are here, regardless of the challenges and losses we encounter along the way.
Soon, the Autumn equinox will mark the beginning of a new season. Summer’s gentle breeze will start the transition into a more gusty Autumn wind. We too must summon up our inner strength and prepare for our next three months.
It would be easier for us to become experts in procrastination, convincing ourselves we will create positive changes when we have more money, time, or courage. In reality, there will never be the right sum, moment, or emotion, simply the right mindset. By creating a small positive change each day, we can naturally create a more positive mindset, season, and life.
Don’t know how to start? Try these five bite-sized seasonal suggestions:
ENERGETIC TRANSITIONS
As the high heat and energies of Summer begin to settle, we find ourselves transitioning into softer and quieter season, allow your energy to match. Say no to others, but yes to yourself. Decline social outings, in favour of working inwards on yourself. Designate You Time, a specific time for gentle practices, such as meditation, journaling, or walking out in nature in the midst of the seasonal changes.
CHANGING TIMES
Take time to reflect and recognise all the accomplishments you achieved over the past season, no matter how big or small. Once we have acknowledged our wins, we are better placed to see what remains for us to work towards in the forthcoming months. Keep those wish lists simple, drawing comfort from knowing that nature never hurries yet everything is always accomplished.
LETTING GO
Just as the trees will shed their dying leaves, we need to be courageous in letting go of what has deteriorated and no longer serves us in our life.
No matter how we look at life, the art of letting go can often feel like a painful process.
However, we naturally move forward in life, but we need space to enable us to do so. Decluttering can be applied to discarding hoarded sentimental items from toxic relationships, removing limiting beliefs from our mind, or deleting and filing old emails to create a fresh space for new opportunities and energy to come to you.
GO BACK TO YOUR ROOTS
As the gathering winds force the leaves to fall and return to their roots, we too must take time to return to ours. This can be achieved by heartwarming walks through nature, connecting deeper with your family and friends, addressing any festering roots to recurring problems, and brainstorming what it is that we really want from our sacred life.
Yoga, journaling and meditation help with energising our root chakra, which is as red as the autumn leaves themselves. Our root chakra, relates to stability, security, and bringing order to our lives, as well as tending to our basic needs (food, water, shelter). A clear connection of our need to reconnect to our internal world and the world of Mother Nature herself.
NOURISH THE SOUL
Self-love is often mistaken for selfish love, which could not be further from the truth. Our self love is the most important relationship. How we treat ourselves, determines the standard for how we allow others to treat us – so set that bar high. We must take time to nourish ourselves and our eternal soul this season. You Time moments can include positive affirmations, eating the right foods to nourish our body, reading a book, or ensuring we get enough sleep each night.
From Summer to Autumn, and each of Mother Nature’s natural cycles thereafter, we must embrace our innate ability to constantly grow, release and rebirth. No longer must we wait for an expected new year, we can now start creating bite-sized daily rituals from this very day, and three months from now, we will see a new version of us with our own unique positive changes.