Autumn Reset

Autumn is a time when nature shows its last flair, sunbursting trees into brilliant colors, dazzling and amazing us. For nature its a time to wind down before winter’s hibernation, a last flourish before going dormant. Its a wonderful exhibition to witness, to drive beneath colors so vivid it looks like fire dripping from trees, leaves falling and cascading around. Yet while nature is winding down, autumn is also a time for fresh starts for many people, a new school year, re-invigorating work after a summer slow down and vacations, a time to restart and get moving again. It can be difficult at times, so much gets thrown at us come September that we can easily get overwhelmed, bogged down in the details, our schedules in disarray and everyone grabbing for our attention. While it is a fresh start for many, it can also bring with it a lot of stress. There are many ways to deal with stress, but one of them is presented to us by nature, autumn’s foliage display.

Sometimes, all we need is a little time outdoors, under an autumn sky with leaves and the season changing, a crisp bite to the air; yellow, orange, and red all around. It gives us the opportunity to be amazed and forget about our stress for a little bit; if we give in and let go, it can alleviate our troubles for longer, we just need to be still with nature and let it works its magic on us. But there are other ways to deal with the stress, especially when we get overwhelmed and just want to quit. We need to, at these points, focus on the purpose behind what we do. We need to find that deep motivation that drives us to pursue our goals, to get involved with our children, and to keep giving even when we have nothing left to give. What drives us to do these things? Is it our children? Is it the happiness we derive from being involved? Is it the simple appreciation we receive for helping out? Whatever the reason may be, we need to find it, hold on to it, and make it the center of our focus. By doing that, we can reset and realign ourselves with what we need to move forward. If we do that, we can let go of the stress around us and get through the tough start that autumn sometimes brings.

However we do it, sometimes it helps to reset our focus, to make sure we are following and doing what truly makes us happy. If we don’t, stress creeps in, overwhelms, and shuts us down. Sometimes we even need to take a step back and put a pause on things so we can find ourselves amidst the fray. And then, go outside and look at the leaves changing, sit with them, empty our minds, and let nature whisk our stress away. Autumn can be a great time for fresh starts, but it can also be a great time to reset and recalibrate.