Fall arrived yesterday morning, much to my son and daughters delight as they excitedly watched out the window for the leaves to literally “fall” so they could be buried in a pile of them. September is now in full swing and for many of us that means we are “back-to-real-life”. Summer has a way of not feeling like “real-life”. Often business is slower or made laid back (if you are lucky there are causal Fridays or half-day Fridays), if you have kids they are out of school and so the routine is different (no fights over homework and often a more flexible bedtime routine) and in general lighter traffic if you commute. In the summer we tend to eat later, stay up later, do more or do less and often forget the troubles of real-life.
As September rolls around I feel like it is a fresh new start. Even before I had children, and they were going to school themselves which definitely signals a new beginning in my brain, September has always held the promise of big things, of exciting adventures, of change and strangely enough of renewal. Perhaps it is conditioned in me from all the years of schooling, or perhaps it is the change of pace from summer time, or perhaps it is the start of fall with the crisp mornings and cool nights. Regardless of why, September seems to be a time to take a step back and figure out what’s working and what’s not in life. A time to start fresh. A time to purge the closet, clean the house, start a new routine. The fall projects list comes out. The fall cleaning gets scheduled or done. And quite often a new list of goals is started. Sometimes it’s a new goal, sometimes it’s an old goal not yet realized.
For many it’s also a time to take a look at what’s working, and what’s not working in their emotional life. Perhaps it is an issue with a child that has resurfaced. Or a problem with a partner that can’t be ignored for “the sake of summer vacation”. Or a feeling of dissatisfaction with a personal struggle, a job, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, depression or other common personal struggles. Whatever it is, September see’s my office getting busier with people who are ready to make changes in their lives, who are ready for a new start. This is an exciting time for me and for my clients too. Because as the initial anxiety of the first session disappears we both get to witness real change happen in their lives. And with the promise of a new start there also comes a renewed energy, increased motivation and a sense of great things to come.
This fall what goals do you have for yourself? For your home? For your relationships? What would it take to accomplish those goals? If you knew you could only succeed what would you do on this beautiful crisp full day of Fall 2013? What have you wanted to do so many times before but haven’t gotten around to or haven’t completed? What’s stopping you? What support would you need to do it?
As the saying goes; Seize the Day. Ghandi said “the future depends on what you do today”. What fresh start would you like to take today? What are you doing today for your future? I for one am excited about my own opportunities and those of the brave people I work with everyday. It’s going to be a great Fall 2013.
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