Looking out at my window yesterday, I noticed a few leaves already falling.
Whoa.
In some ways, it’s been a slow summer, and in some ways, a very quick one.
Yes, it’s certainly still summer right now, but there are some early achiever leaves falling already.
As one of the big maple leaves fell, it struck me – what perspective would that leaf have?
- Would it be sad that summer was over?
- Would it be scared to leave its friends?
- Would it be okay at peace with it’s passing?
- Would it enjoy the ride it had been admiring for weeks?
Let’s stay with our leaf’s story here for just a bit. Consider how a different audiences would view this leaf falling:
- Busy homeowners may see leaves falling as an endless fall chore, and one more thing they have to do in a busy time.
- Artists may see the change of season as beauty and a time to contemplate, and inspiration to create.
- Small creatures may welcome leaf piles as a new temporary habitat, or a food source.
- Trees may look at these fallen leaves as a winter blanket for their roots, and later nutrients for them as well.
- Kids look at leaf piles as a fun activity – jumping and playing in the piles.
- My dog, Penelope, thinks leaves are the best snack food ever, as well as toys to play with.
- Those who sell leaf bags, rakes and blowers, they likely welcome the leaves falling as a much needed source of revenue.
If you think about it, you can probably name a few more perspectives about this falling leaf. There can certainly be a very different reaction to the same event.
Here’s three things this falling leaf can teach us:
- Events Are Going to Happen –
As we know, all sorts of things happen. Some of them we perceive as good, and others as bad (or challenges). However, regardless of perceptions these things will happen. Every morning the sun rises, and gravity tends to work whether we like it or not.
- Many Have Different Perspectives on the Same Event –
Just like the leaf example ( as we all know with politics), there will be many different perceptions of the exact same event. As quantum physics tells us, the observer changes the observed. We have incredible power in how to interpret our world.
- The Outcome is the Same –
There’s no questioning the event that happened, but if we stay in anxiety and stress or come to peace – that choice we control is ours. For the earlier, consistent stress and cortisol levels play a toll on our mental and physical health. However, sometimes these feelings can feel “right” and how we should respond.
As we are dealing with events that are happening – the covid pandemic, social unrest, an election year – many will have different perspectives. While the outcome is the same for these events for all of us, the response we have to it greatly shapes our happiness and resilience.
It’s one thing to be upset about an undesirable outcome – but please don’t stay stuck there. That only results in us rotting, and there are so many other positive options. We all will have difficult circumstances to deal with in our life – it’s all about how we respond that makes the difference.
If you are looking for extra help handling your personal “leaf falling” experiences – especially balancing working from home and teaching kids from home – we can help.
You From Home was set up exactly for this, with evidence-based and science-backed approaches to help all families thrive. We’d love to be of service, and have some programs recently created for busy parents who want the best for their kids. We also have free workshops available, to make it easy to find out if this is a fit for your family.
And, as much as you can, see the leaf falling for the positive it creates in the world, and leave your stress and upset behind. You’ve got this!