Autumn is the Season for Letting Go
Shannon King, Charity Director
Summer has come and gone. Autumn is now upon us. The days are growing shorter and the air temperatures have dropped to a refreshing coolness. The trees begin to experience the changing colors of their leaves in preparation for release. As parts of the world begin to awaken to spring, the northern hemisphere prepares for rest and rejuvenation. As the land lets go of the old and prepares for the new, so should we.
We can take great lessons from the Earth if we choose to see and listen to her. Now is the time to take stock of the past year and plan for the next. Do you remember what seeds you chose to plant in your garden of life last spring? Did you write them down? Now is a good time to review your list and see what grew in your life and what did not. It’s time to reflect and plan for next year.
Of the things that you wanted to see grow this past year, what worked? What didn’t? What should you change? What habits, emotions, people, or things in your life do you need to let go of so that you can grow something new? Don’t look at those things negatively as failures, but as fuel for new growth. Trees drop their leaves to their base. The leaves then decompose, giving nutrition for the tree to grow even more. The leaves effortlessly fall away so that new leaves can blossom out in their place. We should allow ourselves to do the same. We learned a lot in the process and we can allow those lessons to aid us in the growth of new plans.
Fall is the time for us to access our habits, emotions, and relationships so that we can begin to release those that no longer serve us. Don’t think about what you need to begin doing, but take note of what you need to stop doing or let go of. Simply examine what you are holding onto and examine what purpose it serves you, or more so, how it defeats your purpose of achieving a healthier and more balanced life.
Perhaps, you want to revisit your bills, like your television programming. Are you watching everything that you are paying for or is it time to switch to a more relevant package? Maybe you got sucked into watching television instead of going for the walk that you wanted to schedule in? Do you drink too much alcohol, or eating too much junk? Are you holding a grudge, anger, or sadness over something that happened this last year? Perhaps there are toxic people in your life that you need to allow yourself to drift away from. Take this period of autumn to allow yourself the natural process of letting go of the things that aren’t supporting you in a positive way.
As fall fades into winter, we see the plants and animals move into their time of rejuvenating sleep. We begin to slow down as well. Winter is a time for rest. Once you have allowed the old to fall away it will be time for you too to rest.
Take the winter to heal and rejuvenate. Be kind to your mind and body. Plan and regroup. Enjoy the warm seasonal teas, hot baths, and heart-warming baked goods of winter. Snuggle and laugh with your family and refill your spirit with the love of the holidays. Pamper yourself and allow for rest and healing from the business and stress of the past year. Don’t rush this part. Take this natural time to rejuvenate. Mentally prepare, physically plan, and spiritually support yourself.
Spring will arrive soon enough and with it a time to begin again. Allow this time to unfold for you in its natural order. Don’t rush into it. Simply allow it to come. Your job right now is simply to release and prepare for rest. You want to be rested, rejuvenated and ready with your plans for 2018 when spring arrives.
