And as I write this today, in anticipation of that upcoming transition I am struck by what a perfect opportunity any transition affords us for mindfulness.
Transition in September brings forth thoughts of back-to-school activities and other changes, a change in weather, in our schedules and even changes in the foods that appeal to us and to what we wear and what we want to do.
It can be a great time to stop and take notice; to really be aware of what is calling our attention, what is speaking to us and to spend some quiet time with these observations.
Our natural world is changing; the light is different, the temperature drops; there can be a slight crispness in the air. We might begin to see the loss of the vibrancy of full summer; the colors start to fade; the days begin to shorten. It is likely to be a while before the full color of autumn erupts, but already we can see and notice the changes as they come.
So an interesting challenge for us can be to sit in quiet and become aware of what might be changing in us; what might we want to do differently as we leave summer and begin the transition into fall? What do we need? What do we want? Is there a way that we can make choices to find the time and space for what will fill our souls?
Are there things that are no longer serving us that we can release? Maybe these are possessions in our house, maybe these are commitments we have made that we no longer want or need to keep. Maybe these are activities we no longer really enjoy.
And are there things we want to bring into our lives that will help us live in better balance, in body, mind and spirit? Is there a book we might want to read, a new food to try, a new or different exercise routine that interests us? Perhaps we want to commit to spend an extra evening of few hours with family, maybe we want to change our evening routine and go to bed earlier? Maybe we want to stop spending so much time on social media or watching TV?
Whatever it is that we might like to change, we first have to realize what it is and what we really do want to do; perhaps even why. The best way to do that is to be mindful; developing a real awareness of what it is that is important; where we are right now and then where we might like to go, what we might want to change.
The world all around us is changing right now; and as we have the opportunity to mirror that change we also have the opportunity to do that from a place of mindfulness.