As I was walking my dog this morning I was struck by how beautiful the fallen leaves were, as if each was placed by hand. These ones were various shades of purple. Trees seem to innately know that when we let go of what no longer serves us others can enjoy the beauty. They also know that through the next phase they can’t hold on to something that no longer serves them or where they want to go. All their energy and nutrients would go to keeping these leaves alive and the tree would ultimately flounder and likely die.
Our lives follow the seasons of trees, the seasons of the earth. Everything is meant to ebb and flow. The only difference is that humans tend to not trust our seasons. In our defense we’re not really taught to, in fact we’re taught the exact opposite. Because of this we tend to hold onto so much, even if it’s heavier than we can carry, even if it no longer serves where we want to go, even if it slows us down. They’re a badge of honor.
When you look at the last two months of the year, what are you holding onto that is ready to fall away? What would make the end of your year more enjoyable and the beginning of the next lighter?
When I lived in New York City I would take annual stock of my apartment. What areas am I not using best? What feels heavy? What’s ready to be re-worked? What clothes no longer suit me? What’s making my life harder? When your space is limited you learn to value and make the most of it. I let go of a lot, repurposed some, and replaced it with better. It felt amazing. An added bonus to this process, I made better future purchasing decisions.
Stories about who you were, clothes that don’t fit, stacks of papers on a desk, a career that no longer brings you joy or a company that has long stopped appreciating you, stuff from your past that you haven’t looked at in decades, a home that you’ve outgrown or that’s outdated are your metaphorical leaves. Each of them carries a heaviness.
When you connect to your vision of your future and what’s best for you, it’s important to take stock of what needs to be let go of in order to let better things in. The best part is, someone will likely need or find joy in what you let go of, or the person that this allows you to become will make an even greater impact.
What are you ready to let go of to let better in? Let me know nicole@eloiandstella.com.
