From Paris: Seasons Change, We Change
Using Nature's Transitions to Spark Your Own Transformation
France is cooler now, and although the leaves haven’t yet fully blushed gold and crimson, Paris–and the surrounding countryside–seem remarkably different than just a few weeks ago. Nature is transforming, and you can feel it in the air. You can feel it in yourself.
I’m a person who comes alive as Autumn arrives. I love the drop in temperature, the relief from the hottest days. The darkening palette of the landscape, even the smell of dried leaves—for some reason I am reborn each year at this time of the cycle, ignited among the fallen leaves like the first fire in the chimney.
In your own corner of the world, how does the change of seasons affect you, your work, your dreams?
Do you embrace seasonal metamorphosis for the promise of new beginnings that it offers? Or maybe you look at this three-quarters mark as the sign of a year that’s nearly over—a point of pressure on your calendar, and the moment at which you’re forced to admit you didn’t accomplish everything you’d wanted to in the first flush of January.
Are you moved in some way by the layering on—or the shedding away—of sweaters and scarves and moments? Do you think about the loss and the renewal of time that a new season brings?
Maybe the shift in the wind and light affects your mood, your motivation, your creativity? Or are you inspired by the boldness with which the natural world buds into blossom in the southern hemisphere or flashes its colors, then lets go gracefully in the north?
Maybe this moment is an opportunity for you to reflect and reset, to honor the cycle of rebirth and your place in it.
Here in France, the very newness of my life (I’ve only lived here for a year and a half, since I got married) brings emotions and experiences around a lot of daily things that are just plain different here (the work-life attitude, for example).
Yet in walking around my neighborhood as these cooler days set in, I feel a familiar reawakening within. I feel the energy on the streets gathering after the slow buzz of the European summer. People seem sharper now, their shadows longer. They’re wrapped up a little more, less flamboyantly colorful in dress, moving more quickly on the sidewalks. The first little yellow leaves flutter and tumble from city trees.
But you know what? Despite the fact that Autumn is often thought of as a season of winding down, of nesting and coziness, I have an incredible urge to create something new. Why is that?
Spark Your Inspiration with a Seasonal Word or Phrase
At the start of a new period, project or transition, I like to gently choose a word or phrase of encouragement, something that embodies what I’m exploring now and gives me a touchstone to guide my priorities. (I emphasize “gently” because these ideas are meant to delight and help, not to regulate or pressure or shame.)
My phrase this Autumn is “here and now.”
What appeals about this particular phrase is its layers of meaning. After all, there is the “here" of where we are physically, but also of where we are in our hearts and spirits.
As for the “now,” well, now is really where it’s at, because it’s what we truly have, isn’t it?
“Here and now” kindly directs us to take notice of the now, of our sensations, our bodies, our surroundings. And especially at this “fourth quarter” of the year, where deadlines or finish lines loom in our minds, staying in the present moment can be a truly helpful exercise.
But you can also look at the phrase as a mantra for motivation: “Here and now is the time to _________.”
Why should we wait another moment when we could take one step here and now toward something that would bring us joy or liberty or fulfillment?
If you like, choose a word or phrase for your transforming season, and write it down. Of course use “here and now” if it speaks to you. Say your phrase or word every day and bring it to mind when you have changes ahead or underway.
Personally, I’m navigating some loss and uncertainty right now, as I’ve recently sold a business and one of my important client relationships will be coming to an end soon. So I’ll be leaning on “here and now” to help me manage my favorite season as I look to open up a new chapter in my life, with lots of excitement, gratitude and possibility.
Your Turn
What transitions or transformations are unfolding in your life? Or perhaps there are changes you wish were taking place? Does the shift in seasons act as a source of inspiration, or does it cast a bit of a shadow on your spirit?
We’d all be delighted if you shared a comment! Your own story might inspire others, and that’s what it’s all about, no?