People become more pensive in autumn. Even though we are experiencing unseasonably warmer weather (and no one is complaining), we are witnessing the evidence of fall all around us. Leaves are turning yellow, plants are dying; thus we prepare for a changing season.
I've always loved spring and fall the most. I've also always loved change, because I know it's the only thing that is constant, endowing us with endless opportunities. We can ride waves of change into new beginnings. Spring seems like the most obvious time of new beginnings, and it is absolutely meaningful for those interested in the processes of growing life, but the most pivotal season for all of us is indeed autumn.
We see a turning over of the leaf - but it turns brown, reminding us of death. Though we are faced with our own mortality in the fall, we should see this as a good thing. If we did not realize our own fragility, we might never become determined to seize the day.
Our natural response to this seasonal change is to prepare by cutting back dead plants, trimming trees and rose bushes, raking leaves. The process is really good for us, to observe a preparation for the death of nature, to know the procedures for doing so. In the same way, I believe we all need to consider this drastic season an opportunity to prepare ourselves for another 'ego death' - letting those old ideas, attachments, attitudes and damaging thoughts fall away like dead leaves from a tree; or even better yet, taking the big ol' shears of higher-self precision to the very base of their branches.
How do we begin, other than to decide to create something better while we are still here? It's never too late, as long as you have breath, to give yourself an opportunity to renegotiate who you are. Nothing is more powerful than reminding ourselves what really matters, and living IN the moment.
When we count each day as precious, we prioritize relationships over things, and we enjoy our loved ones more. Most importantly, we accept ourselves and others for who they are.
We can absolutely "be the change" - simply by making decisions about what we will focus on (and not focus upon), what we will put our energy into, and what we tell ourselves. We can tell ourselves, "I don't care what anybody thinks of me. I'm going to be myself," and if we do, that could be the most powerful thing we ever told ourselves! Indeed, it is the subtle changes made in private that alter the course of destiny.
Legacy is the essence of why you are here; it is how you will be remembered by your loved ones and by the world long after you are gone; it is a motivating factor in why we do most of what we do. Our legacy is the result of life decisions and individual choices. We often co-create our legacy with those who surround us. If we don't like anyone around us, we probably don't like ourselves. This could just be because we don't know ourselves.
Knowing ourselves is the first step to unconditionally accepting ourselves, and we all know we can't do that for anyone else unless we do it first for ourselves. The wisest solution for self-love is: One must find his or her own path. Find your drummer, find your machete, find your lawnmower. True satisfaction - whether you believe you have a purpose or not - comes from doing what you love to do. If you want to remove frustration from your life, change your path. I have gone through YEARS of thinking I knew my path and then finding myself in some dead end because I thought I had figured it out! Mature self-love knows that simplicity is key - whatever your path is, it's clear once you prioritize.
We have to start somewhere, whether it's a spiritual process, or a physical change of job, school, town, or friends. It could be as simple as a craving for fluids, rest, and inward contemplation, time alone without distraction, or time with a child or a partner. Life is full of opportunities to check the 'Other' box.
Changing our habits or diet or social practices, or private thoughts, seems like a "death process" to me. A welcome one, if we know some aspects of our lives are not serving us or the world any longer. Nobody has the same rules as the next person, because rules are all self-imposed, and therefore changeable. As long as what we determine for ourselves is for the benefit of the greater good, we can embrace our passion fully, unbound.
We can be the bright orange poppies waving in the wind, or the full-bodied ancient rose bush with the sweetest aroma around. We can be the bear. We can be the hawk. We grow into ourselves, into what we are becoming. My point is, we all have a choice. Why choose change? Why, legacy, of course.
Am I so narcissistic as to infer that I consider myself in the possession of an important legacy? Or is it that I have simply realized what every human should - that they matter? Recently I compared my life in its various stages to movie genres: my life is not a Drama. It has definitely been a Romantic Comedy. Maybe sometimes a Psychological Thriller. If I evolve enough in this lifetime, though, I hope at my end they will call my life a hilarious Action Adventure. If you don't see your life as a movie then you're ignoring the importance of your legacy. Re-write your script. Don't let your life be a tragedy of un-raked rotting leaves!
