Late Fall in Portland, OR
Of the four seasons I love Fall most. I know that spring is typically the awakening and birth of the new after the grey and cold of winter; but for me, Fall is invigorating. I suppose because I associate Fall with starting school and new projects, the season seems like a time of new fresh beginnings and of course, cool crisp weather.
This summer flew by more quickly than ever and I am in a daze wondering how that happened. The past three months were full of discoveries and I became again more aware of my own priorities. Why is it so easy to get side-tracked or altogether lost, I wonder! None-the-less, I think if one is able to embrace change, challenges, new discoveries and more, awareness is invigorating. I love change!
My summer culminated in a grand travel adventure for three glorious weeks… so much fodder for future blogs. This entry, though, is only about an awareness of priorities and my rediscovery of what is important to me. None of it is new information, but in the passing of our day to day lives it is easy to get caught up in a flow of events which is not totally authentic to one’s true voice.
I know I have written often about our busyness. Time and again I am brought back to the reality of how easy it is to fall into that intense energy flow of needing to mindlessly compete. It is insidious and creeps into my life so silently I am not aware until I am consumed. Years ago when returning from living in Europe I found myself at odds with American culture. Even though I have consciously fought that compulsion to be consumed by busyness, all too often I have found myself allured into the pattern of always doing, as society around me was modeling.
After spending 3 weeks in Europe reconnecting with long-time friends and the European culture, I became very aware of how disconnected from that self I had become. During the three weeks of detoxification, I committed myself to stopping, breathing, and being aware of a change of pace and rhythm. Slowly I became aware of not only the very quiet of the countryside, but also of a quieting inside myself. There was so much quiet I sometimes felt as if I had my ear plugs in. This is how used we get to the noise around us. I exited the holiday acknowleging to myself a renewal of committment to listening to and nurturing my authentic self and my own priorities, not necessarily those of society around me. This committment means I must stop often and listen to that voice within. The holiday was almost like meeting someone I had known long ago and forgotten existed or forgotten that she even wanted to exist. As I go into Fall, I vow to be mindful that I am listening to that voice of authenticity. How about you? What is your Fall mantra?
STOP! EXHALE! BREATHE! LISTEN!