It’s Natural To Be Contemplative In the Fall
I want to remind you that this time of year, it’s natural to want to go inward. To spend more time contemplating, being with yourself and doing LESS.
You may also feel the urge to shed what is no longer needed- be it possessions, habits or relationships that no longer serve you—much like the trees in nature dropping their leaves.
The inward feeling will continue as the light withdraws— in other words, the days get shorter— up until around the winter solstice, in December, when we begin to turn back towards the light.
Do you ever wonder how the hell you woke up and it's already midlife?
Well then, let me ask you this:how do you hike (or walk) through nature? Do you rush to get to the top of the hike or end of the walk? Do you smell the air and touch the trees, take in the colors, or are you simply trying to get it over with?
El Dorado Canyon, near Boulder, CO. Photo by Ron Michael Photography.
I’m sure it’s obvious why I’m asking you this. It’s likely analogous to how you live your life.
Rushing and hurrying and squeezing more in is encouraged in our culture. ‘How much MORE can you get done today?’ is often what’s demanded of us.
We're often focused on how much we're getting done instead of: what beautiful experience am I having today? Who do I get to connect with today?
When you think about your life ten years ago, do you remember what you got done, or do you remember experiences you had with yourself and others?
This rushing tends to take the juice out of truly being IN our lives. It also contributes to our stress, and our inability to digest our life (AND, our food!).
Small practice to try today: see if you can feel your feet on the ground with every step you take.