Fall ushered in cooler weather, changing colors, and a decision: get ready for hibernation, or choose to flourish. Each of us has the power, much like the season we’ve been witnessing, to change our colors, recalibrate, adapt, and welcome in a new season of our lives.
This list looks at four tenets I tend to lean into this time of year to find balance, stay curious, and enjoy every step of the way. As we survey our calendars, staying busy personally and professionally, we won’t forget about the small things that keep us centered. No matter when, there are things to create, people to connect with, passions to pursue, and plenty of ways to continue our own personal growth.
Besides, it’s the time of year we look back, give thanks, and look forward to reaching our next goal. It just so happens the environment is going through similar stages at the same time, and offering us a unique moment in time to reflect on our progress, resonate with our results, and rally through the winter, onward to another year of joy and fulfillment.
CREATE
Inspiration is the lifeblood of creation. It’s easy to think inspiration strikes like lightning, creating ambition, momentum, and eventually something worthwhile. I think it often starts somewhere simpler: gratitude. Gratitude creates happiness. Happiness gives us a reason. A reason creates discipline. Discipline builds momentum. And momentum turns into creation. Find what makes you grateful, then use that energy to create something you’re truly proud of.
INVIGORATE
Our bodies are complex machines, and food is the fuel. Each fall, my fiancé and I make a few locally sourced concoctions that bring extra fire to the season: garlic cloves engulfed in honey, homemade fire cider packed with things like onion, garlic, lemons, turmeric, ginger, herbs, apple cider vinegar, etc. Even a spoonful of honey with Ceylon cinnamon. Find your own way to invigorate naturally, locally, deliciously.
POLLINATE
Much like the bees buzzing around our yards and gardens, pollinating plants while connecting an entire ecosystem, find your own way to pollinate your community. Attend a local event. Volunteer. Network. Give back. Introduce two people who would get along well. Take an occasional detour from your regular path and pollinate somewhere you normally wouldn’t. You might be surprised by what grows from one small connection.
FIND YOUR 10,000 CASTS
Many of you know my passion for musky fishing. As the saying suggests, it can take 10,000 casts to land one (especially a nice one). Find your version of those 10,000 casts: a pursuit you can pour time into without a second thought. Every attempt is another opportunity to learn, recalibrate, plan, and execute. In life, there’s plenty to enjoy between casts, too.
As the leaves change, take a tip from Mother Nature and make time to Create, Invigorate, Pollinate, and Find Your 10,000 Casts. Enjoy fall to the fullest, do your thing, and plant a few seeds worth carrying into spring.