It happens every year at this time. The leaves have fallen but winter isn’t quite here yet. The leaves are raked up or crunched into the dry brown grass, the skeleton branches of the trees scrape the sky with their nakedness. Like the landscape around me I feel beige and sparse, a depression creeps into the foundation of my awareness.
But nature is a good teacher and she has a lot to say during this season.
Early fall is intoxicating. There is so much delight in the process of the color change of the foliage, the elk and deer are in rut and display their magnificent antlers, birds migrate through giving us rare glimpses of different species. But underneath all of this the natural world is preparing for dormancy which while visually bleak, we must remember is natural and necessary for renewal.
Deciduous trees let their leaves go as an act of survival to get through the shorter days of winter. This allows them to get through the winter months with less sunlight so they can leaf out once again in the spring when the longer days return. Holding onto the leaves would use more energy than they could possibly generate in the winter and would create risk for broken branches under heavy snow.
Like the leaves on the trees we can let go of what no longer serves us; memories, anger, relationships, mistakes, habits. All these things can take up more energy than they are worth, hindering growth much like leaves in winter.
What can you let go of as this year starts coming to a close? What can you be free of to make room for more resilience and calm? And like the milkweed in the fall, what new seeds can you plant by letting them go to float in the wind?
In all fairness, I’ll go first! I am letting go of old habits such as endless doom scrolling and alcohol, to make room for a clearer mind as the next year approaches. I am embracing self-care such as meditation and exercise to strengthen myself for the possible changes awaiting us next year.
How do you discover what you need to let go of? Find some time to reflect, perhaps take a much needed nature walk with a journal or your camera. Possibly collect a fallen leaf and consider it a symbol of what you want to release and then let it blow away in the wind or float away in a stream.
We are in a momentous time where the unknown stares us down menacingly. Climate change, habitat destruction, world unrest, and domestic political struggles test our resilience, unity, and commitment to creating a sustainable and equitable future. We must make room for new solutions and that means it is time to become stronger and more resilient as a people. We can start by being inspired by nature and taking a cue. Let go of what doesn’t serve you anymore and make room for more strength.
– Albert Einstein
10 Profound Lessons We Can Learn From Nature
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