a life lesson from nature - letting go

Autumn is my favourite time of the year.

Yes, the colours of the leaves on the trees are aesthetically pleasing & the sun is low in the sky which creates beautiful shadows and pockets of light, but it’s not just the visual aspect that makes me love it so much.

Nature reminds us that letting go is a beautiful process that will ultimately bring you freedom. Trees shed their leaves every year without a doubt that they will return in the spring when it’s their time to bloom again.

I know this sounds a little cliche, but we go through seasons like nature does. Sometimes we feel invincible & all warm inside, like a bright light is shining out from our bodies & other times we feel frosty & subdued & want to bury ourselves in anything comforting & safe. I think that sometimes we forget that we are part of nature too. It’s an unfortunate truth about humanity these days. We’re so far removed from nature with all our 21st century distractions that we think of ourselves as completely separate from the world around us, when in fact, we have evolved through nature ourselves.

Did you know that your mind can’t distinguish what is real from what is imagined? This means that every time you remember a painful experience, your memory is recreating that very experience in your mind & body all over again so you’re essentially just putting yourself through the emotions you felt at the time all over again! That’s a lot of stress to deal with.
May I just point out that animals do not do this….. They simply get upset or angry, deal with it in the moment & move on with their lives!

We would all be happier if we learnt to just trust that whatever happens is supposed to happen & look at the things that cause us pain more objectively but we are human & don’t naturally do this.

If you find yourself being overwhelmed by situations often, ask yourself this question…..

What can I learn from this?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the lack of control you have in your life right now, take a walk in nature, look around at the beautiful trees & recognise how they trust that surrendering will ultimately revive them & give them a new lease of life.

Let go of the things you cannot control. Let go of the people that don’t deserve your precious time. Take those painful thoughts & emotions that you’re holding onto & turn them into wisdom.