Change of Seasons

I've always had a penchant for the fall.  Maybe it's the smell of burning leaves in the air...along with the cool breeze and the changing colors of the leaves.   Many people say spring time is representative of rebirth, a fresh time that rises out of dark days of winter.  But to me fall represents a time of cleansing...letting go, if you will.  It's a time when trees shed all of their leaves and go into an empty state for the next few months.  In Buddhist or eastern thought, the emptying of the cup (or your mind) allows one to let go and reflect.  This is the purpose of meditation.  In my martial arts class, we always begin the first 5 minutes with a deep-breathing exercise.  It basically involves sitting indian-style on the floor with your eyes 3/4 shut, taking in slow, deep breaths through the nose...holding it, and exhaling through the mouth.  The purpose of the exercise is to empty your mind of the days thoughts / stresses and to essentially "reset" yourself  mentally.   This is how I look at the fall time as...a time to reflect on the past and stock of where you are at in life.  

In today's fast paced world, I think that people in our society don't do this enough.  Although we all have numerous responsibilities that eat up our day (i.e. work, school, kids, etc.) I think it is important to look at where you've been the past year or two and get a idea of where your are headed.  It's easy to get stuck in the same old patterns year after year.  I'm can personally attest to that fact.  But I believe that you can't expect your life to change unless you are willing to make some changes. 

Soon fall will be over and winter will arrive.  The seasons are inevitable in nature; and in my mind this relates to the human condition.  Our lives have seasons...times of happiness, and times of sorrow.  I guess if life never changed, people wouldn't grow nearly as much.  We'd probably all be stuck with the mental maturity of an early 20's something.   Unfortunately, experiencing pain and suffering causes us to change more than happiness.   If you're anything like me, sometimes having a wrench thrown in your perfect world stirs up some motivation and creativity.  Sad but true.

One things' for certain...nothing stays the same forever.  Then again, wouldn't that get boring?