I love the fall. I’ve spent most of my life in the Midwest, where August is paired with cool, crisp mornings and back-to-school cardigans. Certain signs have always come with the change of seasons; not just the change in temperature. Autumn signs I love: geese that honk outside my bedroom window at night. That rumpled, resurrected school supply list. The far-off roar of cheering fans at the high school football game on a Friday night.
And, oh. My new schedule: Waking up in the dark.
For many of us, August represents a time gone by. One friend says to this day she always feels a bit of a tug in her heart in the fall; a sense of longing for what was once a most anticipated time to reunite with friends after a long hot summer.
Whether it’s the cooling of the air, fresh school supplies, or reunions of friends, undeniably and unequivocally, August brings us all a gift: A New Start.
If we don’t notice it, it may pass us by.
This August, we have the opportunity. With the shift in schedule in your family calendar, you may be faced with more opportunity for yourself. Or less.
All the more reason to truly ask yourself what it is you desire.
Just like January, August bring us opportunity. Something fresh.
Let’s take hold.
Let us anoint this August: The Beginning.
Of what? You may ask.
Well…yes.
Ask yourself.
If this August is the beginning, what shall I begin? Take inventory. What shall I begin this fall-this new season of life?
All it takes is a bit of intention.
To get started: Sit down for fifteen minutes and connect with the desire of your heart. What is it that I would like to have more of in my life? Instead of operating from the proverbial self help model of “What needs fixing”, go with your passions!
Move toward that which you love.
Grab a sheet of paper and jot down everything you love to do—And write, write, write.
Write — not what you think you should love to do….but what you really love to do. Let your pen flow– and notice. If these are the things I really love, how often do I practice these things?
What is my proximity to these dear things? Take a moment to look at barriers. Why don’t I do the things I love?
As women, we deny ourselves and, sadly– the things we love–for the sake of our children, our partners, our houses. Our careers.
Not always necessary.
Let this August—This Beginning —be different.
Declare this season as a season of Nurturing your Loves. There are many things that you have wanted to start for some time now. Some are shoulds. Some are Obligations.
Cross those out. Set aside the necessities.
Let this be the time to focus: What will fill me?
If you have been feeling guilty for two years now about how you are not working out at the gym because you hate it, it’s time to quit the membership. Instead, grab a walking partner. Take a belly dancing class. Get the puppy you’ve been wanting to get. He’ll get you outside!
Perhaps you feel you cannot enter into self-care until you take care of that old business. A necessity. Knowing that it will be hard in the short run, but filling–long term. Nurturing your Loves sometimes requires a hard step or two first.
Just do it.
This August –this Beginning, will be different. Instead of dreading the transitions that come with schedule change or old memories, welcome August as a new opportunity waiting. Just for you. I promise. If you do, it won’t pass you by this time.
