The recent spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere marks the end of winter and the start of a new chapter. Around this time, people rejoice over new beginnings, the blossoming of plants, and the longer days that tell us that summer is just around the corner.
But the new season is not only manifesting outside of us, but also within us. This awakening of nature during the spring season can influence all beings to be more active. We all need to take advantage of this active time and do a little self-renovation.
It is a time for renewal, upheaval, and change.
What version of yourself do you want to put forth the rest of the year? What aspects of your life are out of balance? What changes can you make to stabilize that swinging pendulum?
Here’s what you can do to give yourself a little spring tune-up:
REFLECT
Many people associate the winter solstice with being THE time for reflection. It’s true, the dark days are perfect for spending time evaluating what is no longer serving us anymore and observing areas of our life that we want to improve on. But, I urge you to take another glance and go inward again. Maybe you missed a few things or maybe some new things came up during the winter that need some reflection.
Whether you take a long walk every day and watch the trees blossom, take time to sit in meditation, or dive deep into your yoga practice, this is an ideal time to reflect and see if you are in alignment with your truth. Not your fleeting thoughts and emotions. Your truth. The inner voice that so often gets overpowered by that monkey mind that constantly thinks and over-analyzes. This is the only time during the year when night and day are about equal in length and thus, a time that the the earth, and you, should be in perfect balance.
To keep track of your reflections, journalling discoveries about yourself and your new goals will connect you with who/where you are and where you’d like to go. It's a perfect time to reflect on the aspects of yourself you'd like to let go of, what you'd like to welcome in, and what you can do to create more balance in your life.
The work starts with some introspection.
CREATE A NEW VISION
As part of your reflection, it’s important to literally create a vision and dust off the old one that has been holding you back. What does your most authentic self look like? Literally visualize these changes, maybe with the help of a vision board with pictures that you look at every day.
Creating a vision involves two things. First and foremost, concentrating on that vision and thinking positively about attaining it automatically puts out the energy you want to attract. You receive the same vibrations that you radiate. You have to reprogram your mind to believe that what you want is indeed achievable.
Secondly, you need to create a blueprint. How are you going to proactively integrate these changes you desire into your life?
SPRING CLEANING
Now that you have a better idea of what you need to do to get into alignment, it’s time to take action. The first step in taking action is to clean up. This includes ridding the things that no longer align with you such as a toxic friendship, your unfulfilling job, that negative mindset that destroys everything good in your life, or that comfort zone that has been blocking you from new opportunities to help you grow up until now.
Spring cleaning also means literally cleaning up. It’s the perfect time to reset and refresh your home, your workspace, your garden. Take a look into your closets and donate the clothes you haven’t worn in a year, declutter your attic or garage, give those dirty windows a good cleaning finally, diffuse some refreshing lemon essential oils, and redesign/redecorate your living room to a version that suits you better now.
Did you know that mess and clutter affect our minds? Studies have shown that physical clutter in our surroundings actually impacts us mentally. In fact, it competes for our attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress. It overloads our senses, making us feel overwhelmed, and impairs our ability to think creatively.
The clearer your environment, the clearer your mind.
PLANT NEW SEEDS (literally and figuratively)
The second step in taking action is to start integrating changes into your life. No matter how big, any step forward is a step in the right direction.
Let’s take money as an example. Say you want to create more financial freedom in your life. How are you doing to do that? Maybe that means starting with a few books to help you change your idea of money. Did you grow up thinking that money was hard to achieve, that money was only for the lucky ones? Start by changing your relationship/thoughts about money. And what about that online business dream that you have? Whether it’s learning how to create a website or putting some money aside to help you invest in it, it all starts with one seed.
And literally, get outside and plant some seeds. Check what bulbs and seeds are ready to be planted in your yard, or start sprouting some seeds indoors in preparation for that veggie garden you have in mind. A new hobby like this can help bring some more peace into your life and gives you something else to focus on. It’s like a kind of meditation.
Let’s make use of the opportunities that this time of the year and awakening of nature is providing us with. I wish everyone strength and guidance, and to continue walking one step closer to your most authentic self.
She’s in there somewhere, just waiting to blossom.
