fall
A Time of Renewal
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
~ Albert Camus
How did we already get to September? I don’t know about you, but honestly, it feels like the summer just flew by in a blink!
I do love the fall months. The leaves turn colour. I start to bring cozy sweaters, scarves and boots out of the closet. I make soups, stews and I bake ALL. THE. TIME. (That’s something I miss doing in the warm summer months).
My mum used to say “I feel like I come alive in the fall!” I never really understood that until a few years ago. I used to think she was nuts! I mean, really, sad to see the summer end? Beach time, picnics, the beautiful warm evenings done with? How could anyone want that to end??
Now, I see the metaphor of it all. The fall feels like a time of shedding and renewal. Take the trees – they begin to shed their leaves, they begin to rest and restore themselves over winter, and then they reinvent themselves with new growth in the spring.
How lovely is that? Take a moment to think about this…
If we could take the metaphor of trees and use those ideas on us – shed the old, rest, restore and make room for the new. It feels like a fresh opportunity doesn’t it?
I’m shedding some old. I’ve realized there are some things I need to let go of and shed:
- Belief I’m not good enough
- Belief I’m not deserving
- Thoughts of “I can’t”
- Thoughts of “I don’t know what I’m doing”
- Thoughts of “Who cares”
- Stop allowing my expectations of others dictate how I act (that’s a biggie)
I’m going to rest, restore and rejuvenate myself. Create. Develop. Learn. Grow.
During my time of restoration I will:
- Welcome new opportunities
- Welcome abundance
- Welcome a change of thoughts throughout aspects of my life
- Restore my faith in people
- Remember I AM good enough, I DO deserve, and really, I CAN
- Remember to believe and just go for it – even if it means I do it scared
There will be some new sixty-six day challenges, a little hibernation and some fun shares along the way….
Until next time, may you enjoy the last few days of sweet summer, welcome autumn, shed, rest, restore and above all, may you find time to develop YOUR 2.0!
The Great Fall, The Rise And Five Whole Years!
It’s been an emotional week. A week marking the fifth anniversary of two poignant moments in my timeline filled my mind with small moments that had me contemplating how fast time flies, how far I’ve come, how far I still need to go and whole lotta in betweens.
In 2014, my mum was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer – actually two different types of lumps were found. August 5th, she had a mastectomy. It was a tough go for this only child. It. Rocked. My. World! I will forever be grateful to hubs and friends who supported me through that tough time. The surgery was considered successful and her healing would begin. Knowing she had support organized, I headed back home.
One week later, August 10th, I looked forward to heading to the beach to let go of some energy and recharge with mumma nature and some good tunes. A group of us met with our ipods in hand and danced. Part way through, I fell – HARD! I knew something happened, just not sure what. My amazing group of friends actually carried me off the beach that day, set up with a blanket, umbrella and even some beach toys lol! The great fall of 2014 occurred. Turned out, I fractured my fibula and five years later I still have nerve damage and some days, the pain I feel in my leg and foot (sometimes feet) is beyond manageable.
When I told my mum, I remember her saying how bad she felt she could not come and help me. I felt the same as I knew this would limit how I could support her. We did manage to find a moment of laughter when I told her, “You didn’t think you could have all the attention did you? I mean, I am an only kid AND you did buy me a t-shirt with the words ‘it’s all about me’ on it!”
Fast forward several weeks later, I attended a workshop I had been waiting months for. I participated a lot from the sidelines. There was a song that required us to do some balancing, rising up then down and moving on to the next spot. My balance sucked, I needed the wall to support me and I melted down. I was frustrated, angry and disappointed that I could enjoy this moment as I had envisioned. Patience is not my strongest trait. In fact, my mum used to tell me that when patience was being handed out, I was in the loo.
This song, still makes me tear up five years later. I facilitated this song as part of my GROOVE playlist this past week. Now, though, instead of tears of frustration, the tears are closer to joy – the joy of knowing of how far I’ve come. My balance may still be off at times and I may be unable to do a lot of what I was able to do prior to the fall, however, I rise – even if I wobble.
A lot can happen in five years. A mastectomy, a fall, a death, an ending, a goodbye, two moves, job changes and in the end, no matter what, I still rise again.
Until next time, I wish you love, peace, joy, a chance to discover your 2.0 and no matter what, if you fall, may you rise.
Discovering YOUR 2.0 