Embrace This New Season
September has always felt like a new beginning for me, probably due to a new school year. But this year, it feels different - stronger. Like always, the long, shapeless Summer days are ending and the crisp Fall days are approaching. There is the promise of falling back into a solid routine, and of course all the pumpkin spice! Yet there is a shift happening this year that I haven’t felt in the past. Are you feeling it, too?
There is no doubt that 2020 is a year to be remembered. So many of us are experiencing a stripping down of our lives; jobs, responsibilities, luxuries, friendships, and relationships, not to mention the smaller things. And this has mostly been forced upon us. We are being stripped down to the bare bones.
Perhaps that is why September feels even more full of - dare I say - promise? We have been living in constant flux, and the pull of the Fall routine has me hopeful. I am looking ahead to the next season of school, fall, and living during a pandemic (rather than just reacting to it).
So rather than give you a list of things to add to your plate, I want to share some questions that you can use for journaling, reflection, or even as prayer prompts. I do this because, Hello! You are living through a pandemic! That is a big deal, and you have experienced a LOT since March.
It’s not the experience that brings transformation, it’s our reflection upon that experience.
-Jan Johnson
There are a lot of lessons to be learned from what we are living, and to take a few minutes to reflect on that is really valuable. Reflecting lets us identify mistakes so we don’t repeat them, or to let things be that need to be put to rest.
Questions to Ask Yourself as You Begin a New Season
What have I let go in this season? (Summer? Covid? Life stage?)
What have I been forced to let go of?
What have I chosen to let go? How does that sit with me?
What do I feel relief about?
What is my life trying to say to me right now? Have I been listening?
We aren’t all journalers, though I feel we should be! So if writing doesn’t speak to you, try to spend five minutes reflecting on these questions. Or even use them to start a conversation with God: “What are you telling me about my life? What do you want me to know?”
Let it Go
The second part of this exercise is to look at your answers. Is there something more that you can let go of to find more peace in your life? Are you holding on to too many responsibilities with school and children and jobs? Or maybe you can identify that so-called “small thing” that is draining your energy. It is time to let go!
I think there is no better time than now to say NO, and to pull back. Take a look at your day to day, and see if there are things that you are over-complicating. What can you release, delegate, or get help with? Are there things that don’t matter anymore, that are dragging you down?
This “pandemic lifestyle” is going to be here for a bit longer. So as we settle into that, reframing and reevaluating how you are feeling as you move forward is essential. Rather than fight this season, embrace the shift and think about how to make it work for you.