Seasonal Transitions, You’ve Got This!

Autumnal Equinox.

It sounds super sophisticated.

But, for the fact that I feel my body constrict with the mention of Summer’s ending and my mental chatter of Winter’s impending doom.

Immediately, I breathe.

Deeply, Slowly, Quietly and Rhythmically.

Inhale the sunny day that is today.

Exhale my leap into the future season.

Nature provides a transition between the polar extremes.

The Autumnal Equinox is the transition day when the sun is perfectly perpendicular to the earth so that the northern and southern hemispheres are equidistant from the sun’s light.  The sun’s rays shining directly over the Earth’s equator creates  balanced hours of daylight and darkness before the earth begins it’s northern tilt.

A gentle warning of a directional shift.

It was all forthcoming.

I had been witnessing the bird’s delayed meet, greet and eat at the feeder each morning over the past few weeks.

Darkness was slowly descending upon my early morning backyard caffeine hook up and my evening walk.

Welcome to the seasons of shorter days and longer nights.

Bad news for those with attachments to daylight, the sun and warm temperatures.

That’s me.

I had avoided a “real” Winter for ten years while living in South America.  The perk ranked right up there with winning the lottery!

If you are like me and feel constricted as the temperatures drop and daylight fades, pass go, collect $200 and buy yourself a condo on the Boardwalk!

Joking aside,

Instead of fondling my dread of longer nights, colder temperatures and fighting against the natural forces around me,  I find it extraordinarily beneficial to lean into and in-sync with the movements of nature instead of in-resistance.

According to the 2015 Autumnal Equinox according to The Power Path Forecasts and Trends, change, reset and capturing long desired dreams are the themes for the upcoming weeks.

Get cozy and comfortable with change because it’s going to be a constant.  It’s a period of closing one chapter and opening a new one.

1. Make peace with the past.  Close the chapter of the previous season with gratitude to honor what has been, the victories, accomplishments and points of suffering.  Forgive.  Let go of revenge.  Let yourself and others off the hook.   We gain nothing by stewing over what has already happened.  Each time we recount past trauma, we re-traumatize ourselves and become self perpetrators. YUCK.

If you want to explore more about forgiveness read this post.  

2.  Pause.  Breathe.  Don’t fill the space mindlessly.  There is a space in between letting go and discovering what’s next.  Change is inevitable.  You may be tempted to shrink back to what you know.  Don’t!  W A I T and you will be rewarded.

In the meantime…

3.  Dream.  Be strategic.  Clarify what you really want and get practical about making it happen.  Create action steps and silence distractions.  Avoid procrastination at all costs.  One turtle step everyday is all that is necessary. Align yourself with what you are pursuing.

4.  Expand your boundaries.   This is where the rubber hits the road and most people turn back.  Embrace the necessary elements of stress and tension present while chasing your dream.  Your dream will feel out of reach and you will be required to stretch beyond your comfort zone.   Here’s the truth,  you will suck and succeed.  And that’s ok.  Don’t create painful or ego boosting stories around the suckiness or successes.

Stress and tension are necessary energies in our quest toward what we really want.

Expanding your boundaries feels like the muscle trembling that occurs when you’re hanging out in a challenging yoga pose.  You shake.  The shaking indicates you’ve taken your muscles to their limit.  Just breathe.  And remain a little longer and you’ll expand your strength and capability with the pose the next time.  So it is in life.

Nope.  You must choose to put yourself in unchartered and unknown territories.  You feel awkward because it is awkward.  Each time you are stretched to the limit, you will feel pain.  It’s normal.  Don’t retract your steps.  Breathe, pray, drink lots of water and keep moving.   Notice I didn’t say force or push through, rather move yourself through.  Keep breathing.  Moving.  Allowing.  All these forces provide the energy source necessary to achieve your dreams.

5. Keep your eyes on the prize.  Olympians keep their eye on the prize.  They meditate through their actions as if they are actually competing.  The focus remains on their desired outcome.  What you focus on will take up residence and grow, so be mindful about the object of your gaze. In coaching I have my clients pre-member events if there is potential for a significant emotional trigger or if they’re moving toward a goal or dream.  Here’s how it works.  Get clear about your intention and desired outcome.  Remember if it includes other people we have no control over anyone but ourself so create an intention and outcome that is specific to your control.   Close down your eyes.  Prepare yourself for said activity or encounter.  Walk yourself through the event in the meditation, ending with your desired outcome.

The über cool reality is that over the next eight weeks, nature is in perfect alignment energetically to support you with the letting go and boost your dream to reality.  If you are curious about what that means, read the Power Path Forecast.