Do You Embrace Changing Seasons?

I have an admission to make:

I am not thrilled that Autumn has come.

Unlike (apparently) most of the country, I do not love the cooler temperatures and signature flavors of the fall. I love summer. I love green leaves and warm sunny days when I can go outside without a coat.

I do not like Pumpkin Spice anything.

However, seasons change, whether I like it or not. I can continue to grumble, huddling in a blanket while I look balefully at the dead leaves covering the lawn—OR I can decide to embrace the changing seasons with good grace and a positive outlook.

Do you sometimes resent the changing seasons in your life?

Like summer turning to autumn, the seasons of our lives inevitably change over time. Some change gradually, others suddenly and unexpectedly. You and I cannot stop the changes from occurring, but we do have power over our attitude and outlook. We can resent the new season and become bitter for losing what was, or we can accept the new and find ways to embrace it.

The choice is yours.

Here are five strategies to help you accept a change of seasons in your life:

• Consider what the new season will NOT bring you. Each phase of life has downsides as well as benefits. Summer means hot and humid days, lawn mowing, and annoying insects—three things I am happy to do without. Whatever season you are leaving behind, contemplate all that you are happy to be rid of. That will help you accept the change a little better.
• Change your outlook. Instead of dwelling on what I hate or what I am losing, I can choose to look for positive things. We can find them if we decide to look for them. So choose to focus on the positives and possibilities. Every time you begin to think, “I hate…” stop and look for something you don’t hate instead.   
• Imagine the best possible outcome. If you are having difficulty facing a new season or challenge, try envisioning the best possible outcome the change could bring to your life. If that seems impossible, start by making a list of all the potential opportunities the new season might possibly bring. Now choose to believe a really positive outcome is not only possible but worth reaching for.
• Acknowledge your fears. Give yourself permission to fear the new version of the future this season has created: the changes, the unknowns, the challenges. Try to identify what frightens you, as specifically as possible. Acknowledge your fears, but then remind yourself of the positives (see above) and take a step in the right direction anyway.
• Acknowledge your grief. Letting go is difficult. Letting go isn’t fun. Sometimes we need to grieve the loss of what we used to have in order to face the new season. Allow yourself to go through the process of grieving, whether it takes seconds, days, or weeks. Grieving the loss honestly will help you move on so you can embrace the new season fully.

I may never like Pumpkin Spice, but I can embrace the joys of autumn.

What about you? What do you like about the season?