Letting Go

It's no secret that autumn is one of the most anticipated times of the year (next to Christmas, of course). It's the season of flannels, hot cocoa, crisp air, scarves, pumpkin flavored everything, and bunches and bunches of colorful treetops. It wasn't until very recently that my thoughts about autumn have reached a deeper, more personal level. Fall is much more than apple picking and beanie weather. It is the season of change; it is the season of letting go.

"Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go."

When I first heard this quote, my thoughts immediately turned inward. Letting go has always been something I've had a hard time doing. Frankly, I think it’s part of the human experience to learn when to let go and how to let go. I find myself holding onto things that drag me down or distract me from what's really important all the time--whether it's old hurt feelings, a past friendship that's gone sour, or my own guilt over something tedious. A lot of the times I don’t want to admit to myself that I need to let it go. I even try to tell myself that holding onto all that negativity somehow makes me stronger. The reality is that holding onto things you cannot change or cannot control will only hinder your growth. That dead weight can distract you from what's important. If you want to live happier and healthier then sometimes you just have to give. it. up. Unfortunately this isn’t a change that you can make overnight and you shouldn’t expect it to be. Change is a process, and as you can see from the beautiful colored leaves that are still hanging onto the trees around you, it's a beautiful one.

As I watch the trees lose their leaves freely around me, I can almost feel the burden being lifted from the branches. This fall season, I'm inspired to stop fighting myself over things that I cannot change and to free myself from anything that does not make me stronger, healthier, or happier. As you enjoy the transformation taking place around you, be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop.