HOORAY! It's officially the best time of year -- AUTUMN! Per usual, I'm pretty pumped at the arrival of my favorite season. Typically the season brings to mind one of two things: (1) the concept of letting go (à la, the leaves) or (2) the notion of fresh starts (that new-school-year vibe). This week I'm going to focus on the latter, specifically on the hope that comes with a new (school or calendar) year.
With a fresh start of any kind (a new season, job, location, etc.), we're often motivated to think about what we'd like the newness to bring. This kind of resolution-style thinking is frequently reserved for the start of a new year, but I see no reason why we can't do a little reflecting at the start of each season. (In fact, it's probably a good idea to do it every few months rather than wait for January 1 to roll around!)
While I drew this illustration last year, the desires in it remain the same. I'm not sure if that's a good thing -- look how persistent I am! -- or a bad one -- look how much I didn't achieve in a year! -- but, regardless, these are still things I'd like more of this autumn...
MORE SELF-LOVE
Ah, self-love. It's something I'm on an endless quest for, and something I don't know if I'll ever fully possess. After all, we're all living in a world that's pretty much designed to make us question and doubt ourselves (typically so we'll buy things or buy into ideas) so it's a constant battle to remain self-loving. But, in my opinion, autumn is a great time for doing some self-reflection to increase self-awareness (which is, after all, the beginning of self-love). If you're looking to do some soul-searching this season, check out Finding Yourself and Loving Yourself.
NEW POSSIBILITIES
New season, new possibilities, I always say! Okay, I've never said that, but that doesn't mean it isn't true! Every season can be a fresh start with all sorts of untapped possibilities within it. The trick is knowing how to spot them and making an effort to take advantage of them when you do notice them. Opportunities don't always come out of nowhere. You have to go out and get them! This season, I'm going to do my best to follow my own advice (see: Hide and Seek: How to Find Opportunities) and actively seek out the possibilities I want to see brought to life in my own world.
HOPE
Hope has always been a bit of a tricky word for me. It can seem so passive and future-focused that my positively present mind tends to struggle with it. But, after having had quite a few months (or is it years...) of feeling a bit hopeless, I'm making hope a priority this season. The key, I think, is going to be about finding a balance between having hope and living in the now. Too much focus on the future can be dangerous, but believing things will improve is worth the risk.
A SENSE OF CALM
Calm is one of those feelings that's always been a bit elusive for me. Excited, anxious -- those two come easily. Calm? Not so much. However, I do find the autumn a relaxing, introspective time of year (in a way, the calm before the end-of-year storm) and it's my hope that, channeling the vibes of the season, I can learn to chill out a bit. For someone like me, calm takes effort, but I'm pretty sure it's worth the work. (Perhaps I'll download the Calm app to get started!)
LESS PHONE TIME
As you probably read over the summer in the series of posts I did about my phone addiction, putting my phone down is something I struggle with a lot. I've gotten better at coping with it, but I'm still a long way off from being "normal" when it comes to phone usage, which is why I'm hoping that I can continue to work on this throughout the rest of the year. I'm guessing it's going to be an ongoing struggle for me, but I'm hopeful that the insights now available via iOS 12 will help me increase my awareness (and decrease the amount) of phone time.
GOOD IDEAS
Ideas are something I rarely struggle with (in fact, having too many of them might be one of my downfalls!), but good ideas, well, that's a different story. As the year comes to a close, I'm going to do my best to really pay attention to the value of my ideas and assess them thoughtfully before excitedly pursuing them. Typically it goes like this: idea → excited pursuit → overwhelm→ abandonment. Instead of following that path, I'm going to work on thoughtfulness, patience, and careful assessment before rushing after my own thoughts.
DOGS
And, finally, I hope that autumn -- and all seasons -- bring lots of cute dogs into my life. While I'm dedicated to my little pup, Barkley, I really love dogs (anyone who knows me in real life can attest to my borderline-unhealthy obsession with them!) and I'm always hoping to see them. Whether it's online or in-person, I'm hopeful that my life will be filled with pup-fueled cuteness and joy because, honestly, almost every situation (and season!) is made better if dogs are involved.
The start of a new season is a great time to reflect on what you'd like more of in your life. Whether it's the start of autumn or spring where you life, take a moment to think about what you hope the next few months will bring. If you'd like, let me know what you're hoping for in the comments below!
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