I’m not sure about you, but I love spring. It reminds me of all the potential that still exists in the year ahead, even after the lull of New Year’s Resolutions have faded. The thawing of winter does something, not only in the nature around me, but in my soul as well.
We are experiencing the first spring in the Upper Midwest right now. (If you are not familiar with this, we usually get a few “springs” before the warm weather actually decides to stay for good. March spring is definitely not around to stay until summer, unfortunately, but we will take what we can get!) We had a day this week that hit 70 followed by a morning that “felt like” (according to my weather app) 0 degrees. But the weather has been steadily climbing back up to warmer than normal temperatures.
This weather (warm to freezing, to steadily climbing back up) is a good parallel to what we experience in our own lives when we are growing. We make progress. We fall. We get back up and try again and again. The growth is not perfectly steady. And that’s life. But doing the work, seeing slow progress over time (even if we are taking steps back here and there) is the goal.
Spring (even if the weather will continue to change around us) is a great time for a refresh. To take some cues from nature and prepare the soil for what we hope will grow in our lives in the season ahead.
Maybe you haven’t experienced a true winter season in your life this year. A time of not producing. Your invitation in these next few weeks may be to stop and rest, so that you can begin to grow again. Just like nature around you, you cannot be constantly producing without burning out. You might feel like you don’t even know where or in what ways you’d like to grow this year — your invitation may be to pause and reflect. And maybe you know exactly what you’re feeling called to in this next season. Maybe it’s finishing strong, or checking off your Senior Year bucket list, or just practicing being present where you’re at. Do what you need to do to set yourself up well.
You cannot be constantly producing without burning out.
It’s great to start your semester off strong. But more often than not, we need a mid-semester pause. A regroup to get us back on track. Take this week to figure out what you need to set yourself up well for the second half of the semester. Say “no” to some things that are draining you. Say “yes” to some things that continue to bring you life. Let go of the guilt of “not doing it all” and just get started.
Just like the spring blooming around us, we can experience this growth in our own lives. If we only pause long enough to notice it and to cultivate the space for growth to take place.
If you’re craving some more practical ways to prepare your life and living space for spring, check this post out.
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