Learning to let go: Lessons From the changing seasons

I woke up this morning with the sunshine streaming through my window. It looked like it was inviting me out, so, wrapping up, I ventured out into the frosty sunny morning. It was lovely walking through the park, which was really quiet apart from the early morning dog walkers. While walking, it occurred to me that for all the personal development books, workshops, etc that are available to us, nature surrounds us and she is such a wise teacher and we have much to learn from her…

What can nature teach us about letting go?

The leaves on the trees are changing colour and dropping off – the trees don’t cling on to their leaves the way that we often cling onto possessions, situations and people because we are too afraid to let go of what might happen.

The trees rest easy in the knowledge that seasons ebb and flow, that part of the process is letting go, resting for a while and then giving birth to new leaves when the time is right. They don’t rush it; change simply happens as part of the seasonal cycle.

How often do we fight against what is and create resistance that keeps us trapped where we don’t want to be, making ourselves miserable?

Choosing your perspective

Looking at nature that morning also got me thinking about abundance and scarcity. How often do we focus on what we lack or worry about what might not be available to us?

We don't get to choose everything that happens to us, but the perspective we bring to an experience can sometimes influence how we respond to it.

Just like the sunshine made everything look sparkly and beautiful... Do you see your life through the lens of optimism or pessimism, fear or enthusiasm, abundance or lack? Are you consciously choosing how you respond, or simply reacting to what happens around you?

Becoming more conscious of the perspective you're bringing to a situation may help you notice where you have choices and where a different way of looking at things could be useful.