The long, luxurious days of summer are waning. Yes, there are still hot days ahead, but the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. I don’t need a calendar for me to know that fall is coming.
Every year at this time I have to really work on my self-talk. I love summer and pretty much everything about it. Winter not so much. Knowing that winter is coming makes it hard to focus on the beauty of each day as it comes. But I try. I try really, really hard.
I try to not think about the cold days ahead. I don’t like having to wear multiple layers of clothes just to stay warm. I hate having to scrape the frost off my windshield every morning. Don’t even get me started about shoveling snow. Or the fear of slipping on ice when I’m home alone. Even the holidays that so many people love feel forced and contrived to me.
See how easy it was for me to slip into negativity? This is what winter and cold weather do to me. This is my inner battle every day that the sun rises a little later than the day before.
I believe in always trying to be positive. It’s a challenging practice that I don’t think our society teaches enough. Even when things are going wrong, I try to look for what to be grateful for. This doesn’t mean that negative things don’t happen, or that I don’t get discouraged. They do and I do.
There are times you have to see what’s going on, recognize the negativity, and do whatever you need to do to process it. If that means screaming and crying for a day or two, go for it. I do. I have made myself seriously physically ill during at least two phases in my life because I refused to let myself feel the negative emotions that were swirling in my psyche. I do not recommend ignoring your emotions as a coping mechanism.
The coming of the next season is obviously not as challenging as some of the events that have happened in my life. Or in the life of anyone who has been breathing on this earth more than a year or two. But staying positive about the changes the fall bring is a challenge for me.
As fall inevitably approaches, I look for the things I enjoy about the season. I try to appreciate the cooler days with the bright sun and deep blue skies. I try to appreciate the crackling energy of the school kids in the neighborhood heading off to school each morning. I try to appreciate that I get to start cooking the soups I love without feeling overheated while consuming them. I even try to appreciate the fact that the shorter days mean my room stays darker longer in the mornings.
Living in the moment is a big part of my personal philosophy. I have found it works well for me and my progress through life. The changing of the seasons puts that philosophy to the test every year around this time. I am choosing to pass this particular test.