Shedding Our Leaves
Fall is a season of letting go and releasing what is no longer needed.
Before leaves fall from trees, they put on a fleeting show of bright colors, making their presence known while reminding us to appreciate their impermanence.
Yet as humans, we often want to hold on to things, feelings, and people long after their value to us has passed. We are constantly evolving and it is not possible to grow without shedding old layers. The trillions of cells in our body die off and regrow as new cells every two years, yet many of us are still stuck in patterns, jobs, and relationships that don’t serve us far beyond the natural cycles of death and rebirth.
The leaves shed from trees fertilize the ground as they decompose, optimizing conditions for new life to be born. Trees will grow new leaves when the conditions allow, without attachments to the fallen leaves or worries about when the new leaves will appear. It all just happens in flow with nature as the seasons change.
Despite our separation from it in many ways, humans are still a part of nature and undergo natural processes of change and growth as is proven by hair loss (or growth), wrinkles, and other bodily changes that occur without our conscious intention or permission. We don’t need to accept these changes for them to occur, they just happen whether we like it or not. We do, however, have a choice as to how we respond to these changes. By resisting changes that are inevitable, we cause ourselves unnecessary suffering, yet by accepting - and even celebrating - changes, we flow with life, detach from old versions of ourselves, and create space for what’s new to emerge with open hearts and minds.
By letting go and looking forward to the seasons ahead, we begin to take actions in flow with our true selves and the evolving world around us, opening up to living with intention on the path of our dreams.
And if we still don’t know who we are or what we want, maybe the only way to figure it out is by shedding some leaves to see who we truly are. Who knows, it may lead to growing some flowers in a few months.
What leaves are you shedding this season?
