If you've been feeling a little "off" lately, you're not alone. I've talked with a lot of folks who are experiencing a sense of "the blahs" for no apparent reason.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- If you've been feeling a little "off" lately, you're not alone. I've talked with a lot of folks who are experiencing a sense of "the blahs" for no apparent reason. Maybe it's the dog days of August -- or maybe it's the coming change in the season.
Whether your source is the Bible or the '60s rock band The Byrds, you've probably heard that "to everything, there is a season -- and a time for every purpose under heaven."
If that's true, we're right at the cusp of one of those seasons. You may not put this into perspective because "back to school" notices have been bandied about since mid-July. And Mother Nature seems to have gotten confused with the memos for the spring, summer and monsoon seasons.
Nevertheless, we're entering that annual ritualistic time of football games, crisp evenings, fall foliage and new teachers. And we'll be saying goodbye soon to summer vacations, swimming pools, lightning bugs and (yea!) humidity.
My favorite season has always been spring. I've heard it referred to as "the rejuvenation of nature and also of ourselves." But without the winter, we wouldn't have the anticipation of spring. Besides, fireplaces, sweaters and the aroma of big pots of chili wafting through the breeze certainly have their places.
While I used to think I'd like to live year-round in a spring/summer type climate, I've grown fonder of the change of seasons over the years. And it's interesting to stop and reflect on the changes in ourselves that parallel the changes in nature.
I'm not exactly the hardy outdoor type. Far from it. I've come to have a deeper respect, though, for the contrast that comes with the different seasons. And it's interesting to note how many of our standards have been set up as a reaction to nature's conditions.
Have you ever wondered why children go to school from about 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.? Why doesn't the school day parallel the workday for the convenience of working moms and dads? I'm told it was designed that way in the beginning because of the family farms. Kids could come home from school and still get in some work in the fields before suppertime. And, while we're a long way from the domination of the family farm, these time rituals -- for the most part -- have stayed the same.
So, is there really a season for everything? In our multitasking world of today, the reaction may be different than days of yore. With artificial conditions, one can certainly transpose things. Like ice skating and swimming year-round. But there's still a consistency -- and a comfort -- that goes with the seasons. And it keeps things exciting. While I definitely enjoy warm weather, I may get tired of it 365 days a year. Maybe 300, though.
All this got me thinking about contrasts in our lives. Without coldness, we wouldn't appreciate heat. And, if we'd never been sad, we wouldn't know the extreme shift to happiness. Just think of all the references to contrasts -- ebb and flow, the long and short of it, and as broad as it is long.
Remember the movie "Pleasantville"? With everything so hunky-dory (where did that expression come from?), boredom set in quickly. I'm not saying we shouldn't do everything in our power to keep things on a positive note. We need to make sure, though, that we're being real and not being in denial about a situation.
After all, our biggest lessons often come from our hardest falls. If not for these major contrasts or "wakeup calls," we may never muster the courage or the energy to change a situation. Sometimes we need a gentle nudge. And other times we need a full-fledged kick in the pants.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- If you've been feeling a little "off" lately, you're not alone. I've talked with a lot of folks who are experiencing a sense of "the blahs" for no apparent reason. Maybe it's the dog days of August -- or maybe it's the coming change in the season.
Whether your source is the Bible or the '60s rock band The Byrds, you've probably heard that "to everything, there is a season -- and a time for every purpose under heaven."
If that's true, we're right at the cusp of one of those seasons. You may not put this into perspective because "back to school" notices have been bandied about since mid-July. And Mother Nature seems to have gotten confused with the memos for the spring, summer and monsoon seasons.
Nevertheless, we're entering that annual ritualistic time of football games, crisp evenings, fall foliage and new teachers. And we'll be saying goodbye soon to summer vacations, swimming pools, lightning bugs and (yea!) humidity.
My favorite season has always been spring. I've heard it referred to as "the rejuvenation of nature and also of ourselves." But without the winter, we wouldn't have the anticipation of spring. Besides, fireplaces, sweaters and the aroma of big pots of chili wafting through the breeze certainly have their places.
While I used to think I'd like to live year-round in a spring/summer type climate, I've grown fonder of the change of seasons over the years. And it's interesting to stop and reflect on the changes in ourselves that parallel the changes in nature.
I'm not exactly the hardy outdoor type. Far from it. I've come to have a deeper respect, though, for the contrast that comes with the different seasons. And it's interesting to note how many of our standards have been set up as a reaction to nature's conditions.
Have you ever wondered why children go to school from about 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.? Why doesn't the school day parallel the workday for the convenience of working moms and dads? I'm told it was designed that way in the beginning because of the family farms. Kids could come home from school and still get in some work in the fields before suppertime. And, while we're a long way from the domination of the family farm, these time rituals -- for the most part -- have stayed the same.
So, is there really a season for everything? In our multitasking world of today, the reaction may be different than days of yore. With artificial conditions, one can certainly transpose things. Like ice skating and swimming year-round. But there's still a consistency -- and a comfort -- that goes with the seasons. And it keeps things exciting. While I definitely enjoy warm weather, I may get tired of it 365 days a year. Maybe 300, though.
All this got me thinking about contrasts in our lives. Without coldness, we wouldn't appreciate heat. And, if we'd never been sad, we wouldn't know the extreme shift to happiness. Just think of all the references to contrasts -- ebb and flow, the long and short of it, and as broad as it is long.
Remember the movie "Pleasantville"? With everything so hunky-dory (where did that expression come from?), boredom set in quickly. I'm not saying we shouldn't do everything in our power to keep things on a positive note. We need to make sure, though, that we're being real and not being in denial about a situation.
After all, our biggest lessons often come from our hardest falls. If not for these major contrasts or "wakeup calls," we may never muster the courage or the energy to change a situation. Sometimes we need a gentle nudge. And other times we need a full-fledged kick in the pants.
These shifts in seasons aren't always ushered in quietly. Our systems and bodies may well react more strongly to these changes than we realize, even though it's not so noticeable on the surface.
Just look at the effects of the moon on the tides. And what's up with that barometric pressure? We may not understand all the reasons for these shifts. But there's no denying they exist.
It's been said that the cycles of the four seasons mirror cycles within ourselves. Learning Strategies Corp., a personal development training company, encourages us to align ourselves and to be "in tune" with the following characteristics of the seasons:
Winter: Spiritual growth
Spring: Health
Summer: Success
Fall: Relationships
As autumn approaches, we harvest the fruits of our labors, slow down and prepare for the winter shift where we tend to go inside our homes for comfort -- and inside ourselves for wisdom. Drawing on the focus on relationships, it's a good time to take stock of all our relationships.
Strengthen associations with your co-workers as well as any project, job or venture in which you're involved. You may also want to take a hard look at where you need to free yourself from energy that no longer serves you. Balance the intensity needed to achieve results with the time to enjoy your loved ones. And build relationships in work and play that create well being for yourself and your world.
So, if you're feeling a little "off," you may just be going through a seasonal adjustment. Of course, there may be external adjustments, too -- like that first kindergartener going to school or that first child leaving for college.
As we travel through the four seasons, there are lots of twists and turns. Why do you think The Byrds interjected "turn, turn, turn" into their lyrics? Even though we've gotten away from many of the cycles in nature and may not notice the subtle shifts, it's a pretty good bet that much of this inherent wisdom from nature is hardwired into our systems.
Shift happens. Just be gentle on yourself as you go through the phases. And everything will be hunky-dory.
Linda Arnold, MBA, is a certified wellness instructor and chairwoman/CEO of The Arnold Agency, an advertising, public-relations and government-relations firm. Reader inquiries may be directed to Linda Arnold, The Arnold Agency, 117 Summers St., Charleston, WV 25301, or e-mailed to livinglifefu...@arnoldagency.com.
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