These Times They Are A Changin'....

Autumn: the fall equinox.  Many of you may have noticed that you are waking up in the dark again.  I don't necessarily mean clueless (though for some of you that is the case), I mean the dark, as in not light at 6am anymore.  For some of us this brings about feelings of despair and dread.  For others, it's an awakening.  I personally hate mornings any time of year.  Hate is a strong word, I know, but by definition I have an "intense dislike, or extreme aversion or hostility" to mornings!  This time of year brings about the serious dreads for me.  I dread winter.  I dread cold (yes, it does get "cold" here in Hawaii...68 degrees can be quite freezing when you are used to 80's).  I dread holidays.  Most of all, I dread darkness.  The darkness keeps me (or makes me) sleepy.  The darkness brings S.A.D. (they call it that for a reason).  The darkness just makes me......blah.

Okay, okay, this is not a humdrum, whoa-is-me, the winter is coming and I'm icky post.  It's about change.  Many of us look at this time of year as the end to something.  The end to summer.  The end to long, sunny days.  The end of nice warm weather.  Well, how about we change our thought patterns and start to look at this time of year as the beginning of something.  It's the beginning of the harvest season.  The beginning of the fall fairs season.  The beginning of hard cider season!!  It's a time when we prepare our lives and our bodies for the winter hibernation.

There is beauty abound during the autumn season.  Leaves change colors and blanket the ground.  The sky is so sharp and clear with all the summer haze gone.  There's a pink glow on everyone's cheeks as the temperatures start to fall.  Are these things that invoke dread?  No!  These are things that should bring a lightness to your heart.

Here in Paradise, we don't have all of the leaves changing colors or the crispness in the air, except in the mornings.  What we do have is new plants and flowers blooming.  We have clear air that allows us to have stunning views of the beautiful Ko'olau Mountains.  We also have a clearing of the beaches in my town, which is awesome if you want to just go and read a book.  The air just smells good and clean.  It's simply sparkly here.

I had another "ah-ha" moment yesterday.  I was feeling kind of low, for no particular reason, and started to re-evaluate my self.  I've gone by the wayside of keeping healthy this past year and it's starting to take a toll on my mind and body.  So, I decided to do something about it.  I went back and read an old journal from 2008 (the last time I had this profound "ah-ha" moment) and low and behold, it was almost four years to the day that this happened.  I gave myself a goal back then and reached it earlier than I had hoped.  I took this moment of realization for karma telling me it's time to get my butt in gear.  Right then and there, I changed my attitude.  I am the most important thing in my life right now.  I am worthy of good health.  I am worthy of high self-esteem.  I am worthy of feeling strong.  An OR friend of mine told me something back in the day.  He said "Heather, you stress too much about stuff you can't control".  With his arms stretched out in a circle in front of him he said, "this is your circle of control.  Everything that falls outside this space is not up to you, so forget about it and move on".  I summon up this conversation frequently but haven't really practiced it lately.  Today I begin to focus only on the things within my circle of control.  Everything on the outside is not worthy of my attention.  Thank you, John, for the best advice ever!

I have a new goal now (42-42-27).  My intentions are strong and my determination is high.  I have no doubt that I will achieve my goal early like I did the last time.  I am surrounded by supportive, positive people.  I have let go of the negatives outside that circle of my control, and will continue to block others from trying to enter.  The only things we can truly change in life are our own thoughts and actions.  Everyone else's thoughts and actions are their own, and have no influence on us if we choose to not allow them to.  Go forward into autumn with crisp thoughts, clear heads and positive attitudes.  We'll make it through the winter slumber, we always do.

Life's a beach, and then you live on one...