Tag Archives: growth

21

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

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Are there any truths that are universally accepted, no matter what? I think there are a few concepts whose value is universally positive and something you strive to practice in your life.  Because if you involve these things into your existence, then your life will provide more value to the world, and the world will offer more value to you.  Developing a foundation of trust is vital to cooperating with others and developing a long-term pattern of personal growth and interpersonal interactions.  The universal truths accepted and practiced will allow you to live a more positive, productive, and successful life.  Fairness, integrity, honesty, human dignity, growth, service, and quality are things we should strive for in our lives.

Fairness

The saying, “Life isn’t fair,” is one of the first I remember learning. But that is not true because life is ultimately fair, and looking to provide fairness in all we do is a positive aspect of a person’s personality.  There are equal opportunities for all people to pursue in life. There is money to be made, fame to garner, a joy to find, happiness to experience for everyone. Our attitudes about these things ultimately dictate how much we see.  Fairness is universal and always available. You are in control of how much you experience in life.

All people naturally strive to make things fair in any group setting.  Selfishness, of course, exists. It results when people create their self-worth around material possessions and fear they will not have enough. Enough money, property, ownership, or anything else a person can think and feel is a status symbol. But if you take all of that away, at our core, we can all recognize the value of fairness and how the practice makes life better.

Integrity

The moral code with which we live our lives will define who we are to ourselves and the world. What do you do when nobody is watching?  I have known many people who were quite hypocritical in this arena. Putting on a charitable, kind face in one situation but then being something entirely different in another.  Developing integrity inside yourself of kindness, honesty, compassion, and understanding is vital to becoming the best version of yourself, and I think it is the same for all people.

Each person decides this for themselves, and it is not something set in stone. Like all aspects of the human experience, it is developing throughout your life. You can improve your integrity and grow as you learn through life.  Being more positive is realizing your choices in all areas of personal development and deciding to “be better.”  That road is always available to you to change, grow, and have more integrity in your life.

Honesty

Being honest is a much more complicated concept than it should be.  Too often, we do not tell the truth because of fear. Fear of hurting someone else on the positive side or fear of losing something, lack, or pain on the less kind face of things. All people have lied at some time, and the repercussion of that act will stay with you forever.  Being an honest person is a skill like any other, and it brings the benefits of trust, faith, and appreciation with it.  It always amazes me how many people never focus on being honest when dishonesty leads to nothing but trouble and negative life experience.

Honesty is the best policy because you never have to remember what you said. The truth is always the truth, and it doesn’t change.  It also benefits improving your character, energy, and ability to make a positive impact on life. In this world, we live in can be a challenge, and the person it is most important, to be honest with is yourself.

We Are All The Same on the Inside

Too often, we define people by what we see on the outside and ignore the inside of someone.  We are all the same on the inside. We have thoughts and emotions which are telling us what to do and how we feel about things.  These things build through our conditioning and conscious thinking about living.  We determine if we treat others with human dignity or not. We understand that all people you encounter in all situations are just another version of you, and your compassion for their condition can only help. When you have a choice to be kind or not, be kind to another. Please treat them with respect and understanding.  Regardless of race, religious conviction, problems, body type, or mental capabilities, all have emotions and thought to dictate their existence. We are all in the same boat.

Try today to look at all people through this lens and see the commonalities existing within them.  Each person you see has a nonstop river of thought and emotion running inside of them, just as you do.  They are trying to make sense of the information they are taking in and the reality they are experiencing. Perception is our reality.  Separations exist to protect people in a physical, emotional, and mental way. If you look at everyone understanding their similarities rather than their differences, there is nothing to fear. We are all the same.

Growth or Death

It is the way of nature in all things to seek a growth path. To become better tomorrow than we are today or ever have been in the past. Each day of our lives provides us with the opportunity to grow from our current state of living, thought, and understanding of the world and become something more.  What precisely depends on us and how we approach our lives. It is my experience we are moving in one of two ways for the most part. We are getting better, or we are getting worse. I have seen people with nearly unlimited potential refuse to believe in themselves and wither away into a recluse of self-absorption.  I have seen other people with less talent continually work and strive to be better, and those people always win in the end.  Growth is a universal part of life, embrace it and become a better version of yourself tomorrow.

You can choose to follow a growth path today and become a better person than you were in the past. It is up to you to make the choices that lead you to think better, act better, and become a better person. These options are always there for you to make. The fiber of your existence will depend on the choice you make in this area. Are you getting better, or are you getting worse today?  Strive for better and improve a little bit, and your life will start to flourish.

Service

We are not put here in this life to do things for ourselves. The people who follow that path are narrow-minded, selfish, and unhappy at the end of the day.  Our lives are meant to have a purpose, and that will be revealed when you start to put the happiness of others ahead of yourself.  What service looks like to you will be unique to your talent, temperament, interests, and personal experience.  Rest assured that life will put you in a position to provide a service to others.

It is common to look at yourself and fear you don’t have anything to give anyone needs. That is a mistake; if nothing else, you can offer kindness, caring, understanding, empathy, happiness, joy, support, and tenderness to the world. That is the decision of service you can make in any life and at any time.  Is there any argument that these things will make the world a better place and you a significant contributor? Think of service in this vein, and all of the small ways you can make a positive difference will reveal themselves to you. Have to courage to give your service and change the world in a small positive way.

Quality

There is an opportunity on most days to show what quality you carry inside of you.  It may be any of the above characteristics you display in your interactions with others or just the patterns of thought you choose to pay attention to, but the quality of your life is an important thing to keep in mind.  Your class will show in everything you do. Not in the initial results of an activity, but do you practice the growth mindset and strive to get better? Or do you stick to the little thoughts about your abilities and shy away from being vulnerable enough to learn something new?

Your ultimate quality as a person will be determined by the positive or negative impact you have had on other people and their lives. This effect is a choice that you can make every day of your life and at every moment. Determine your quality and understand nobody, but you are responsible for the amount of quality your life provides others.  It is a sobering question to ask yourself how much quality you have provided to the world.

Finally……..

Take an honest look at your life at this moment and evaluate the direction it is moving in.  If you feel something is lacking, then start by looking at how each of these universal truths is being practiced in your life.  It may be an eye-opening and sobering experience. But one in which you can make choices to improve in any area you wish.  Need to be kinder? Make that choice.  Need to improve your integrity? Do that.  Need more honesty? Be honest.  There is always a chance in every new day to move your life in a different direction. It is up to you to decide if you will be moving in a direction more positive or negative than before.

“This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes; it’s a universal truth.” – Marilyn Monroe.

“We can’t control what thoughts and emotions arise within us, nor can we control the universal truth that everything changes. But we can learn to step back and rest in the awareness of what’s happening. That awareness can be our refuge.” -Sharon Salzberg.

“Each of us embodies, in a particular tale and clothed in the garments of time & place, universal truth, and everlasting life.”- J.R.R. Tolkien. 

“The only time you have is the where and when of right now. There will always be good times, bad times, hard times, and complete disasters. However, there is no other option but to be where you are when you are. That is a universal truth for everyone. The important thing is how you respond, what you decide to do, and when you decide to do it.”- Chris Murray.

“Universal truth is not measured in mass appeal.” 

 

 

21

Confidence in That

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challenges_aheadEvery person in the world in the history of humanity has been faced with the fact that life is going to be complex or challenging at times. It doesn’t matter what skills and tools you possess, Einstein intelligence, classic beauty, superior physical strength, or massive understanding, you are going to at some time find that life is kicking you around like a rag doll. So naturally, your confidence will be shaken. However, these times are not meant to break you but to strengthen you. The challenge is the thing that will cement your belief in yourself.

Master the Game

It would be nice if life were easy all the time and we had the whole game mastered. But, instead, it is knowing exactly what to do and when. Should I change careers? Is this relationship right for me? Why do I have so many issues, and How do I deal with them?  All of these things are a part of the dance that is life. Life will give you periods where all is calm and nothing but happy times exist, but there are going to be other times that will not be easy. Challenges will most definitely come. And that is OK.

Stretch and Grow

The challenges and the difficulties that we face in life are the things that will force us to stretch and llchagrow in ways that we may never have done before. In fact, without these difficulties in life, we probably wouldn’t have the capabilities and talents that we have. Each hurdle that you have to get over is a teaching tool that has been placed in front of you to allow you to learn, grow and become better than you were before.

When you see a challenge in your life, don’t fear it. Embrace it. The difficulty isn’t going anywhere, and only your attitude and decisions will decide if you learn anything worthwhile or not. It is totally and entirely up to you.

Your confidence will grow as you master the lessons that each challenge brings you. As I see it, the secret is to appreciate, enjoy, and be grateful for the moments that you seem to have everything mastered. Happiness only comes in moments that are happening right now, not in the past or the future. Now. You can be confident in that.

21

Player

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e2809call-the-world_s-a-stage-and-and-all-the-men-and-women-merely-players_e2809d-399x400Looking at the experience of living, I can only come to one conclusion, and that is that life is quite a production, like a well-organized play. Designed to teach you lessons along the way, fooling you into believing that you are in control and writing the script of your experience, but life supplies the stage for triumph or tragedy. Revealing slowly, evidently, and entirely that we are not wholly in control of this story but the mere beneficiary of the script. We are left to choose to become this or that, rich or poor, wise or ignorant, accepting or judgmental. We make many choices, but it is all seems to be a deliberate act, and we are merely the actors. Look at the production of your life. Do you like where the plot is taking you? Or do you want a change? The experience will allow you to influence your story if you are wise enough to do it.

Opening Act

Childhood is our opening act. It is in the production many of our personal beliefs stock-photo-10348904-opening-the-stageform. Beliefs are inherited or observed and become a part of us. Most of the assumptions we develop about life become deeply embedded in our subconscious when we are 7-10 years old.  The influences and experiences we have written on our scripts will be the most significant factor in our development. We are lingering in our subconscious mind, controlling our experience, making all the choices we are not consciously making.

Were the adults in our lives nurturing, or were they judgmental of us?  Were we encouraged? Was money a factor? Were we loved? All factors determine how limiting or empowering our beliefs will be through the early stages of life. If you never question these beliefs, then your play is being written by a seven-year-old. Look at what you believe and evaluate if it is accurate or something you want to represent you. That is one of the many choices you will have to make in your life.

Character Development

The next act involves growing up and getting educated. Our education is where we take our beliefs and see how it.

How many masks have you worn?
How many masks have you worn?

All fit in the grand scheme of society. I was fortunate to live this part of my play out in college. I learned where I fall in and which face showing to whom to receive the desired crowd reaction. Like any good actor, I performed what I needed to allow the production to move forward successfully.

Of course, a few missed lines were a few marks that weren’t quite right, but through experience, an absolute mastery developed.  We think we have developed the role that will take us through the rest of our lives successfully. But, unfortunately, we forget that it is all just a play, and we fool ourselves into believing it is all real.  During this time, we start to lose ourselves and our connection to our true selves.

This is it?

Eventually, as the play of life evolves, many of us are continually acting to our full capabilities. Still, over plot-holestime even the best-written and most action-packed game can become old and stale. We start to see the holes in the script, and no matter how hard we act, the holes get bigger and bigger. We all work all the harder, but finally, we have to ask ourselves the question that has not been in the script before. “Is this it?”

These thoughts provide a critical question that will lead to many changes in your play. Sometimes the transition to new production is smooth and seamless. A person is well-adjusted and willing to take the steps leading to the stage meant for them. More often, though, the transition is a bit more volatile. Leaving our play behind makes one question precisely who they are. “If I am not this character I have been playing all these years, then who the heck am I?”

Final Script Adjustments

In the end, there is a common thread in most of the great stories in history. The new production will end with all of our characters finding the truth they are looking for, becoming the hero they wanted to be or

Thank you, we all take a curtain call for life.
Thank you, we all take a curtain call for life.

getting the reward they desire. There are some tragedies out there, but there are far more hopeful, inspiring productions created every day.

As people start to realize they are in roles, playing a part, they see their power. The actor can take the script they have and make it into almost anything they want. As a person sees their potential and talent and starts to grow, life is your choice.  The beautiful play that is life becomes an instrument for expressing what is inside, not an opportunity to collect accolades, money, or personal recognition.

 

21

Seasons

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Seasons-  each of the four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hours, resulting from the earth’s changing position concerning the sun.

It is a fortunate thing, to be experiencing the spring of the year! A wise person once said there is no way to stop the seasons from changing. That is true in nature, and it is true for your life as well, just like the planet rolls around each year, inevitably bringing an awakening, a vibrant life, and slowly a return to a darker cold slumber. So do our lives move as well. The sad part is that there are over 7 billion people globally, and a tiny fraction ever evaluates their existence in any thoughtful manner at all. The seasons provide us with a natural lesson on how to appreciate things.  Do you pay attention? Or are you caught in your own thoughts?  Look at the seasons of life, and you will appreciate the experience more.  This begins with really looking at the thoughts you entertain, the words you speak, and the actions in life you take because of all of these things.

Season of Eyes Shut

It seems like people live their lives and flow through the seasons with their eyes closed to the change that is coming to them. Each year the seasons move by and with them a lesson. Still, the young person is too involved in the physical world and what other people think of them to pay real attention to the knowledge the world offers—a chance to love, enjoy, and find experiences that color our lives.  Very rarely do young men and women remove their conscious thought from what they want to accomplish to imagine how it all fits into the big picture.

Worrying about your relationships, jobs, and living arrangements dominates thoughts. Life passes you by, and all you try to do is collect as many things as possible. The value of things is temporary, but the value of experience stands the test of time. Youth is wasted on the young, and the spring is wasted on selfish, individualistic behavior.  As you get older and time becomes shorter, you realize there is a reason for this, and you become envious of the time you had that is now gone. Unfortunately, others are frittering it away with their eyes tightly shut, looking at themselves and ignoring the world.

Enjoy the Seasons

It is common in the area I live to look ahead to spring during the winter.  It gets dark early, there are major snow events, and the temperature is frigid. But it provides a unique experience people in areas which are warm all year don’t get.  There are cold hard moments that come in winter. If you pay attention, they will wake you up to the soft, warm moments that will come as the calendar moves toward spring and summer. We all need to appreciate more warm, soft moments.  Winter creates this appreciation.

Spring brings hope and renewal, and summer brings vitality, fall brings sober acceptance of change, and then we are back to winter again. The seasons mimic the experience of our lives. As we age, we go through seasons, but most don’t notice these things are happening.  We are young in the spring, and our summers are spent doing, going, collecting, competing. Fall is the time you realize there is an end in sight, and winter is that end, like it or not. We all hope our winter is a long way away, but………………we never know.

Be in the Moment of the Season

There is nothing as inevitable as the passing of time, and the human experience is a finite thing. Our seasons are flying by, and all you have to ask yourself is, are you making the most of it, or are you wasting your time?  It really doesn’t matter what you do.  The human experience is a gift.  Think of the magic of experiencing a snowfall or a warm summer day with a cool breeze blowing.  Or the fall when the leaves are changing, and the crisp weather is a harbinger of things to come.  The wonderful hope of spring that revives us.

Please pay attention to your life and the people in it.  Spend your time and money accumulating experiences rather than things. Things are finite and provide joy for a short minute.  Experiences lead to growth and sharing and a life to be remembered.

So spend a little time in your day to be a little more conscious of the seasons occurring inevitably on your calendar and life. It all starts where you focus your thoughts and what you appreciate about life in every season—the words you use to express this appreciation to others and the actions which result. So look at your seasons and take a moment to enjoy them all.

“Nature gives to every time and season unique beauty; from morning to night, as  from the cradle to the grave, it’s just a succession of changes so soft and comfortable that we hardly notice the progress.” ~ Charles Dickens

Wherever in the world you may find yourself right now, we are about to enter a new season.

“The beat of drums and the blustering of summer fade away. Everything becomes quiet, more introspective, sad. Autumn always comes with such beauty.” ~ Jaak Drees

 

 

21

Power of Pain

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greatnessLife isn’t always easy. The path of least resistance is most often not going to be your path.  Hardships and chaos can make you wonder what this is all for. Why do we have to experience painful moments? What is the point?

I have found accepting the difficult parts of life to be the hardest lessons learned. They are painful and cause you to look deep inside of yourself to find the truth.  You can feel angry, upset, or out of control. Whatever your reaction to your life events, understand that the events are not going to change, but the reaction and growth you experience will.  So what is the point?

Strength is Revealed

We all have talents and skills within ourselves. Many painof these aren’t near the surface as we are developing. It often takes a tragic event or significant change in life to allow our talents to rise. The fire of the experience will allow you to become more aware of your skillset. They also provide you with the opportunity to develop them into a weapon of success.

As painful as events are to us, they allow for significant growth and the development of strength within. Going through a difficult time, people can rarely step back and get a perspective that shows this. When you are hurting, all that most can think of is just about stopping the pain. Some people never survive this difficulty, and the pain wins.  Yet, some are driven to unimaginable heights by the unfortunate events in their lives. What happens to you as an individual in your darkest hour is totally your choice to make.

You Contain Greatness Within

Once you decide to accept the circumstances you are in, you can also gain the lessons that life has to give you.  Life is going to change, and it is changing every second of each day. Once you reach the level of acceptance, then you can start to move forward. Life doesn’t end for you when you lose a job, a relationship ends, or the death of a loved one occurs. Life continues, and you choose what part of that you are going to be: an observer or a participant.

Life is never going to be perfect, and in the imperfections, the greatest possibilities for growth and triumph exist.  All great creations, inventions, and findings have come in this space of imperfection. There is no need to fear it or let the past tragic events of your life rob you of treasure. All people experience a tragedy of one sort or another, which is part of life. Will your tragedy define you, or does it propel you forward to greatness? That is the choice you have today.  When you look closely, you will always see the possibility of growth on the soul level. Challenges provide you with the opportunity to develop your greatness and talents.

“Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.”-   Fight Club

“Let go of the past.”-  Robert Greene

“Adversity is the first path to truth.”-  Lord Byron

“Great things never came from comfort zones.”-  Neil Strauss

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –  Helen Keller

Life

Grow As A Person

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Personal Growth Leads to Living Well

personal growth 22There is nothing so important in our lives as seeking out and pursuing opportunities to grow as a person. Like any other living creature, our purpose in life is to contribute and move toward becoming our best selves continually. Just as plants are born and start to grow throughout their lives.

Look at your life and each activity you participate in, asking yourself about the growth potential.  We are all consciously, physically, and mentally going one of two ways.

  1. We are getting better or becoming more or growing.  2. We are getting worse, becoming less or shrinking.

Nobody is staying the same. Our actions that stem from our decisions each day are the forces that determine our direction.

Personal Growth Through Pain

Sometimes growth stems out of pain. We often

Unique personal growth can come from painful expeirences
Unique personal growth can come from painful experiences

wonder why painful events happen in our lives. Yet, these events often move you to strike out in a new direction rather than stay where you are. The pain can provide motivation and momentum to us to find new avenues for our talents or roads to travel, which we would never have conceived of before.  Our shell is broken, and a new life of growth will result.

With those we love, we try to shield them from the painful things in life. Our children, especially, under the guise of protecting them, are potentially robbing them of some of the most potent growth experiences. Being with them at painful times allows them to feel and provide empathetic support and sharing in their suffering, realizing that there is a time in life that pain happens, and all we can do is reassure them that healing comes. Eventually, it does come if you let it.

Life-Long  Education= Personal Growth

personal.growth.barrier.3.bGrowth can also occur through production by taking action. An interest will present itself, and through the natural forces of inquiry, a person will pursue their interest to find out more.  The student learns throughout their education and training to master their craft.

The problem is there is a lot of life left after your formal education is completed. Learning needs to be a lifelong pursuit that will continually keep you on a path of growth.  Most often, this is an individually motivated choice of practice. If you don’t look for ways to improve yourself, learn something new, or develop your mind and body, the alternative is to move backward slowly. Today we have access to a world of education and can learn how to do anything at all. We only need an internet connection to learn about anything from anatomy to rocket science.

Growth is NOT Difficult

It is not difficult to grow in your mind or in the talents you possess. Like anything ever in life, it involves taking an interest, developing an intent, and taking action potentialtoward completing a goal or developing a skill.  The passion that a person has toward achieving that goal will determine how severe the task will ultimately be.

Looking for opportunities to grow daily is vitally important. You are never too old, too weak, too significant, too small, or too anything else to find avenues for personal growth.  Reading something of substance each day is an excellent way to start. Each new idea or thought you experience will allow your mind to expand and think better and more efficiently. Once a consciousness expands, it takes a lot of neglect to move it in the opposite direction. Choose to grow!

“Every moment of one’s existence, one is growing into more or retreating into less.” ―Norman Mailer.

“Income seldom exceeds personal development.” ―Jim Rohn.

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” ―Henry David Thoreau.

“Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.” ―Morihei Ueshiba 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huAkaimApyA

 

21

Change is Happening

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Here Comes the Change

Accepting changeThere are many ways change occurs in our lives. Sometimes it is quick and jarring, leaving trauma and drama in its wake. These are the changes that make you consider living a different way. Nothing will ever be the same. But more often, change is like a dripping faucet. As each drop slowly accumulates, you never notice until the thing that once was one way is now totally another.  Change is happening to us all day, and Heraclitus was right; it is one of the constants we can always rely on. All we can do is work on our ability to accept change and make choices to roll with it. 

Getting Better or Getting Worse

Each of us is changing every day, and it is important to take stock of ourselves and where we are in life. Each day we are either getting better, or we are getting worse.  Nobody is staying the same. It is impossible. The movement may be minuscule and hard to see, but you move in one direction or the accepting changeother each day.  That makes it important to know exactly where you are in all areas of your life, physically, spiritually, mentally, or financially so that you can understand your progress.

Each of us makes decisions both large and small, which will dictate your direction. Do I go to the gym or skip today? Do I spend money on that new pair of shoes or not? Do I practice kindness or not? Do I participate in gossip or not? All of these and many more choices are made by you each day, and the only person responsible for them is you. You are in control of your destiny and determine if you are getting better or getting worse.

Accepting Change

Change is so difficult for most of us because we are so attached to our current lives. Even if things are not perfect and things are changing for the better, it is our instinct to resist because deep down, we are afraid that a change may make things worse.  It may not be perfect now, and I may not enjoy my accepting changecircumstances, but at least I can handle them.  Don’t fear the changes that are happening in your life. Let life flow, and it will most often take you to a better place.

If you have a goal and it doesn’t involve your current job, relationship, or the area you live in. You can’t be afraid when life starts moving you in a new direction. All of your dreams and goals will be found by trying something new and accepting the changes that come into your life.  Each new change will teach you a skill and help you become a better, more well-rounded person. Accepting change will allow us to grow. 

Life is full of ups and downs; things will never stay the same, and change is happening every day. Your choices can help dictate the direction of the change that you experience. When the big ones come, a death, the loss of a job, or the ending of a relationship, understand that pain is a part of the process of letting go. It will never be easy because we have attachments to people and situations. Circumstances will come, and they will go, love people as best you can, enjoy each second of all situations because one way or another, it may all be over at any time. 

“The only thing that is constant is change.” ~Heraclitus

 

Life, Philosophy

Autumn’s Song

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Fall really has it all, bright colors over a melancholy heart.
Fall really has it all, bright colors over a melancholy heart.

There are few things that make me feel as great inside and out as the autumn of the year. Living in a legitimate four seasons area, a person is fortunate to see all of the positives and negatives that each time of year provides.  Each has a list of positives and negatives but the one that makes me happiest is fall.

The nostalgia that naturally appears this time of year is so strong and vibrant that you not only think of those times in the past but you can feel them. The weather is cool, but not cold. It is the perfect weather for being outdoors and being outdoors connects you to activities in the past.  Just closing your eyes and feeling the breeze on your face and smelling the air connects you to those times in your past when the

What more do you need?
What more do you need?

same unique and powerful sensation washed over you. It could have been at a football game, a hunting trip, or even a  through an autumnal sea of pumpkins. Whatever activity of fall entertained you in your past, it is back in your mind each and every time the autumnal equinox passes and the days get shorter.

For me there is a unique melancholy in the air that is universally enjoyed by all during this time of year. Each emotion needs to have a season and fall is the season of feeling a bit sad.  I don’t think it is so much a season of endings, but more a season of letting go and moving forward.

Help yourself to a pumpkin. It's fall!
Help yourself to a pumpkin. It’s fall!

The autumn air tempers the pain of some endings and allows for a person to deal with them in unison with the season. No matter how painful something was and the hurt that you feel, fall reminds us all that endings of all kinds are the way of things in life. Each glorious summer will end and all of its possibilities and joyous memories no longer exist in the cool, crisp fall air. They are gone and need to be put away as happy memories.

Yet there is a hope that fall brings in its melancholy. There is an understanding that although one season has ended and another year is approaching and in its ending we are allowed to close the book on it.  Good, bad, indifferent, we are allowed to leave that year behind us and to move forward to new adventures where anything is possible, and another summer of fun awaits us, if we just have a little patience.

Autumn is the natural time of reflection that nature brings to us and allows a time of appreciation and enjoyment. Without endings, there are no new beginnings and fall allows you to remember the past, and the pleasurable experiences of your younger days and allows the ability to carry them into the future and to share these moments with the ones you care about.

As the leaves change color,  contribute a bright message to the world and ultimately fall to their inevitable end, so will autumn and with it a small piece of you knows exactly what that feels like.

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