by Veronica Vaiti, LCSW-R
Fall has long been my most favorite season. Something about the crisp air and rustling 
leaves mingled with the “back-to-school” associations of yore, fall for me conjures up feelings of recharge, renewal and a refreshed drive for self-realization and growth.
Nestled between the sun-splashed languid days of summer and the looming weight of the cold winter, fall is a magical season that is rife with unbelievable activity and change. Fall beckons you to take stock of all that’s going on both around you in your external world as well as to look within yourself and take stock of your internal world. Outside, all of the emerging dazzling colors are truly astonishing and obvious. Yet, looking within yourself, what might you find? Consider these suggestions and questions:
Reflect upon yourself and your life
What fills up my life right now and how do I feel about it? Maybe you’re in school or working two jobs to make ends meet? Are you caring for an aging or sick relative or feel isolated and withdrawn and spend your weekends inside with your TV. Are your days so busy and jammed with various responsibilities that you forget to breathe or even eat?
Wherever you find yourself, the most important items to reflect upon are whether or not you are living in a way that truly reflects who you are, what you believe in and what you are capable of.
Renew your lifestyle
What can I do differently today that will help change what it is that I don’t like about my life right now? Change is ever present from one degree to another. Change is usually either the result of a circumstance or situation being thrust upon you requiring a response or change can be internally driven propelling you in a particular direction towards a desired outcome or goal. While some circumstances and life situations may not be able to be changed, how you approach, relate to and even think about them are open for alteration and sometimes all that is really required.
If you look really close and your day-to-day routine, I challenge you to find one thing or area in which you can begin to try to think about it differently, perhaps more balanced or positively that may result in more ease in your life. Or on a practical level, might you be able to begin sitting quietly for just 3-5 minutes each day in mindfulness meditation? The benefits of meditation are boundless.
Rejoice in what is
Learning how to appreciate and value this very moment even if it is not the way you would like it to be is truly a test and always a perfect place to begin to practice doing something new. Are some habits both in behavior and in thought just harder to shift than others? Can you appreciate yourself for trying to do something differently even if it didn’t go exactly as planned? With the colors of the changing leaves bursting all around us, they serve as an emphatic reminder of the wondrous cycle of life and the constant state of change that that we are all a part of. Fall is a perfect time to gauge what works and what doesn’t in your life. Mark this day on your calendar as a jumping off point and dare to do something different NOW! Happy Fall Everyone!
