But then the wind picked up, the cold weather set in, the fall colors started falling all around me.
And then this morning, it sprinkled snow…
It’s in these moments of seasonal shifts that I find it easier to snap back to mindfulness. To get out of my thoughts and into the brisk bites of wind on my face, crunching leaves under my feet, watching the colors float around me and bits of snowflake on my nose.
I’ve thought a lot lately about what it is I want out of life. When I dig through all my offenses, defenses, triggers and traumas, at the end of the day, what is it I really want?
What keeps coming up for me is pretty simple: I want to enjoy my life, and I want to share that joy with others.
So to keep cultivating that during the mess, I’m actively seeking more moments to be joyful, even if it’s just for a couple minutes.
Today I soaked in the joy while my husband Kirk and I went to a little morning pie tasting, then drove home on our country roads that are always healing for me. We watched the golden wheat wave in the wind and bits of snow fill the skyline, while he graciously accepted my need to turn on the Christmas music.
At the same time, I’m nursing a hip injury. This happens to me more often than I would like when I’m in a low. I rely so heavily on exercise to help my brain that when things are tough, I push too hard, too often and hurt myself. (I know, I know, this is one place I struggle to practice what I preach and listen to those darn whispers.)
But even with a limp and a bite of the hip, those flakes of snow snapped me right back to the joy in the present moment. Sitting on the window sill at the sweet little bakery, nibbling on pie with my person, pushed me past my nagging thoughts and aching back. Joy surrounded me for a full hour. And right now, I’ll take that.
I’d encourage anyone reading this post, struggling or not, to take full advantage of the gifts nature gives us with seasons. Say what you will about the “weather,” every seasonal shift is an opportunity to pay more attention, to be in awe of what’s happening around us and to be snapped back to the present, maybe even a few moments of joy, regardless of the storm that surrounds us.