The one thing we know about the seasons is that they always come and they always go. The cycle that we see in the change of seasons is also a metaphor that describes our personal reality: life is followed by death, and then life comes back, just as surely as the darkness of night is replaced by the light of day. In our lives, the seasons represent the process of change from letting go, to eventual new beginning and renewal and then letting go again. The seasons teach us that struggle and joy, loss and gain, darkness and light are necessary in becoming whole and complete, as the circle is whole and complete.
Seasons are part of life … part of every year … and sometimes part of every day. Your day may start off fresh and new like summer: you have that bounce to your step, you are on top of the world. Then the unexpected happens and you are thrown right into fall and winter. Your life then revolves around the struggle to get back to that fantastic feeling of new growth in spring and the full growth of summer.
The Chinese say there are 5 seasons: summer, late summer, autumn, winter and spring.
AUTUMN
IN NATURE
Autumn is a season of great beauty and vibrancy as the leaves become full of color and then finally fall. It's as if nature needs to show itself with gusto before its ultimate decline. The days become shorter and the growth hormones in animals and plants decrease as life slows down. In some ways, autumn is also an active period in nature. Squirrels store food so they can use it later, bears fatten up so they have the energy to give birth and nurse their young during winter, and trees are storing up food and energy reserves needed for next spring's growth. Seeds are being scattered so that life will begin again in the spring. All of this happens to prepare for the winter period to come.
FOR US
For us, autumn comes when we get older and life gradually changes. Our bodies slow down, and our priorities change. We find that we are no longer defined by our young bodies, energy level, and bright new ideas. In the autumn of our lives, our old selves are released to prepare for the older and wiser selves we are yet to be.
For me, autumn came when my husband died suddenly and when I lost my job. These were times of stripping away how I defined myself, as a wife and manager, in order to prepare for a new stage of life. I had to go inside, acknowledge my situation, try to let go of what I no longer could have and accept the situation that was given to me. As a nation, autumn came when the world trade center was attacked and our sense of security was shaken. Our beliefs in how we were viewed in the world community, and how we view others were in question. We were stripped of many of our old beliefs and were forced to go deep into our roots to redefine our values and priorities.
AUTUMN IS A TIME FOR:
WINTER
IN NATURE
Winter is the time to slow down and regenerate from the inside out. Bears go into hibernation where they are in a state of inactivity and are sustained by the food resources gathered through the summer and fall. In the plant world, trees go into dormancy using food and energy reserves that were stored up in the fall. In the winter the tree is in a state of dormancy.
FOR US
Winter chases us inside. In the winters of our lives the loss of 'what was' forces us to find new meaning and redefinition. This is a time to reevaluate who we are and what we are about. For example, after the loss of a job, the shock of rejection is followed by a need to figure out what we want out of life, how we can get what we need, and where we want to go next. It is the time for assessing our resources so we can make a plan.
After 9/11 and as a widow the winter was a period of deep questioning of 'why', 'why me' and 'what now'. There were feelings of grief and emotional exhaustion and yet urgency to figure out the answers to universal questions. Life had handed us a roadblock. We are realizing that:
WINTER IS A TIME FOR:
SPRING
IN NATURE
In spring life starts to emerge out of the cold of winter with new life. But before nature becomes beautiful with new growth, it goes through the period of mud and muck. The earth that has frozen in winter melts into a muddy mess but in this mud the conditions for rebirth are being created. The muck sends rich nutrients back into the earth to make it fertile for new growth. Spring comes tentatively and erratically with storms and unsteady temperature changes. As the days lengthen, and the sun rises higher in the sky, the temperatures rise and change is triggered in plants and trees. Hormones are released that regulate plant growth. We see the first crocuses and snowdrops start to show themselves and HOPE is renewed again. New life is coming.
FOR US
For us, spring is a season of hope and new life also. The diligent introspection and gathering of resources during the winter period is finally starting to bear fruit. It's as if we now know who we are and are ready to show it. As a widow, spring came when I was finally able to say that I am whole and fine just the way I am. For me it came when I was finally able to know I could make it on my own. I was no longer defined as 'widow' but as 'me'.
With job loss, spring is the period of understanding your strengths, what you want out of life, and making a plan. It's the time when you are finally able to grow a new direction, and the growth is coming fast.
As a nation still reeling from the shock of the world trade centers attack, spring is yet to come. I think we are still going through the winter period. However, I see spring coming when we have redefined ourselves outside of the context of the present threatening environment. I see it coming when we are able to envision a peaceful resolution to the present conflict, and plant the seeds for the new life of harmony at home and around the world.
SPRING IS A TIME FOR:
SUMMER
IN NATURE
Summer is the season of plenty. Summer is a period of abundance, when all of nature works together to create what is needed, and much more. This is the time when trees bear fruit, the forest fills with undergrowth and new life. Plants grow rapidly because of long days and optimum sunlight. The reality of fall and scarcity of winter is forgotten as the sees bear fruit and new growth.
FOR US
In summer we find that we are finally on our way. We are growing tall and strong and in a new direction and releasing the energy that has been stored through fall, winter and spring. Summer is a period of thriving. For me summer is here now. It is a time to appreciate and to live in the moment. A time of loving where things are, and living congruently with my goals and values. The job searcher finds that the path is set, and success is here. This is the time when all the hard work of letting go, assessing resources, deep inquiry, and having a vision is resulting in the actuality of success. It's time to enjoy the new energy of doing and being what you love.
SUMMER IS A TIME FOR:
LATE SUMMER
IN NATURE
Late summer is the time of harvest and gathering in. During late summer the new growth has come to maturity and is ready to be gathered in and savored. Plants bear fruit and animals are now fat and happy. There is a slowing down from the intense activity of spring and summer.
FOR US
'Gathering in' happens in late summer for us too. It is the time to gather up the fruits of our growth and spread them around. We do this by sharing what we have learned and gained through the seasons, with friends and those in need. Nature works together to create abundance. So it is that abundance for us is created when we come together in community. For me, later summer requires me to use the lessons that I have learned through the grief process to help others who are in the depth of it. The person enjoying abundance in his job is able to approach his work life with a broader understanding to share.
LATE SUMMER IS A TIME FOR:
So it is that nature IS continuously teaching us the greatest of lessons.
- CHANGE IS UNIVERSAL
- TRUST THE PROCESS
- HAVE PATIENCE
- LIVE FOR THE MOMENT
- STAY AWAKE
- RELAX AND LET LIFE HAPPEN TO YOU
- SEE EACH STAGE AS AN OPPORTUNITY
The Seasons of Change © is Copyright Soaring 2002 All Rights Reserved
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