November
They say it is the month of death,
But I have never seen such beauty in decay.
Remains of autumn,
Still smouldering,
Cling to the branches,
And the Earth is painted a thousand shades of red.
When a heavy fog smothers the ground,
Breathe in and let it fill your lungs.
It is at this time the world seems still
And the fear of winter is forgotten,
If only for a moment,
Before the light fades,
And we return to darkness once more.
© Emily Aartsen
Would you say autumn is an inspiring season or a depressing one for you personally?
Autumn is one of my favourite times, I love the turning of the leaves which make it such a colourful period and it’s that time of the year when we harvest for the coming winter period, where we get ready for the much needed rest and renewal. It gives us the chance to turn inward and allow space for reflection and introspection so we can examine what’s still crucial, relevant and important in our lives. We get to reset and recharge our batteries and consider what we want to bring into the forthcoming year.
Nature is continually instructing and mirroring back to us our own cycles of creating and then letting go of those creations be that relationships, businesses, idealised versions of ourselves, outdated thought patterns or the loss of loved ones . It can provide us with profound wisdom and life lessons if we choose to pay enough attention.
In Chinese thought, there are considered to be five “elements” or “phases” that we go through connected to the seasons. Inherent within this philosophy is the understanding that the cycle continues endlessly. After a period of rest and renewal in winter we get to experience new beginnings in spring and so on. We plant, sow and reap the harvest and then repeat all over again. Autumn represents the “metal” element and thus connects us with that most refined part of our self , the deeper more authentic aspect of self which gives rise to questions such as who am I and why do I exist?
Once we begin to consider the five elements of Chinese philosophy, we see them cycling in and around everything. We can recognize these phases in the course of our relationships, in the progress of a good story, in the process of aging, in the growth of our garden and in the history and evolution of a business enterprise. All things emerge, bloom, reach completeness and eventually become brittle then die, then rest. Then the cycle always begins anew. We only need to look at our social, political and economic structures as systems in crisis to see further evidence of this process. Sometimes, clinging on to what we know doesn’t offer us the best strategy for unity, balance and harmony!
Once we learn this basic fact of nature, the dry and brittle phase of autumn, the time when things are dying, it helps us to acknowledge those periods of loss and times of letting go in our own lives.
From my own perspective the autumn cycle has been an important lesson in letting go of my attachments to the place I live as we prepare to sell up, downsize and get ready to undertake the next chapter of our lives. I know that the move will help us simplify and balance our lives, yet, at the same time we have to acknowledge the grieving process involved. After nine wonderful years we have had many happy memories to cherish and dear friends made and moving on feels harder than I’d expected. I have also been clearing out in preparation and readiness for this process, which whilst cathartic, has also involved some pain in letting much cherished items go.
My deeper nature is appreciative and ready for the rebirth and the transformation that is calling me on the other side of this transition. It teaches me that all personal growth requires some discomfort and that loss and change can be the catalysts for renewal.
Nature teaches us about transformational change
As we come to appreciate that everything in nature and thus our lives is continually fluid and changing we’d do better to embrace rather than resist the change that wants to happens in us and in our wider world. Without death of the old we do not get to experience the benefit of spring; of new beginnings and offerings. Nature abhors a vacuum and what this means is that as we make space by letting go then that space will always get filled with more.
Every fall, nature goes through this mournful, if colourful phase, letting go of the more cheerful vibrant summer version of itself. And yet its able to let go without regrets and welcomes the change reminding us to not dwell on the past because if we do so then we only repeat past patterns and mistakes. We attract unresolved pain in order to show us our own truth and those places we hide and the fears that sit behind all our clever rationalising. We always become the story we identify with the most.
So what do you want to let go of this autumn?
It might be the need to stop procrastinating, or of certain expectations that you hold that stop you from living in a more authentic way, or maybe it’s the need to release yourself from relationships or work spaces that can’t sustain you or from bad habits, such as the excuses you make or the internal criticism you continually inflict on yourself.
Take a moment to pause and identify 3 things that are holding you back from the life or work you know you are yearning for
Write them down and resolve to let them go and try something different. As I have frequently expressed; there is no certainty with transformational change other than what is created from the inside out. If we can get comfortable and lean into the discomfort we get the deeper insights and the truth and then we must integrate that learning to expand our range and our love.
Of course all this is easier said than done and one of the reasons why there is such a demand for experienced coaches and therapists to support our endeavours. So if you are in the middle of a life-transition and need help navigating your way through then please do get in touch.