How phases in life can echo the seasons …

... be wise to the season
you’ve welcomed in
and know it will 
and can change ...

I love the fact that I live in the UK where we do still have seasons.  Talking about the weather is a national pastime isn’t it?  The constantly shifting conditions keep us on our toes, and I like that.  Having a weekend away? Pack for every eventuality.  Organising a family BBQ?  Have a back up plan.  Our weather encourages forward thinking and flexibility, a habit worth cultivating. 

The fact that the seasons herald change reminds me that change is constant in other aspects of my life.  I am lucky in that I’m not prone to depression and do not suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  I grew up in Lancashire, where it rained a lot.  It never stopped me doing anything.  You just grabbed your cagoule and out you went.  But I know that for some, SAD is real and often debilitating.  

There have been times when I’ve felt that I’m stuck in winter, irrespective of the time of year.  At times, when my workload felt overwhelming, it was as if a cloud was hanging over me, blocking out the sun.  

When you are stuck like that, a change of scenery can sometimes help.  I was in Orkney a few years ago, feeling exhausted and work-weary.  Watching the landscape relax into autumn helped me let go of some of my stress.  When you think about it, nature has so much to teach us.  We humans are not designed to be on the go the whole time.  We need spurts of growth yes, but equally we must honour fallow times, when we can gather our energy for the next thing.  We can’t carry everything with us but must learn to let go of aspects of life that no longer serve us.  Only then, I think, can we welcome new growth.  The trees know this but it seems that we’ve forgotten.  

Lots of us may feel stuck in a situation or a mindset that we feel we can’t escape.  But we can.  We can’t control the weather or influence the cycle of the seasons (let’s not get into the climate change debate … that’s a whole other story) but we can adapt.  Equally, we can’t always control the situations in which we might feel stuck, but we can always change how we respond.  

If ever in doubt … just get outside and be in nature.  It might just help.