Seasons of Life

6th June 2020

Nature has a wonderful way of having four purposeful seasons. In Spring, life begins a fresh start with the creeping in of the magical sun and a spark of positive energy. It is followed by Summer where it is all about maintenance and growth, basking in the heat and thriving steadily. It is harvest time in Autumn time where she produces her abundance for all to see and at the same time, winding down. Next comes Winter, where life almost comes to a standstill and has a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle. It is when Nature rests on the bare minimum while preserving its internal energy for the next burst of life in Spring.

Your life is not dissimilar. You have your seasons too. As Nature intended, you should embrace each season for it is all necessary for your growth.  In your Spring, you may take up a new job, explore a new relationship, enter a new phase in your life (like parenthood!) or simply learn a new skill. It is exciting, it is fresh, it is full of possibilities and opportunities. Immerse yourself fully into this new era of your life. Absorb all the thrills and positivity. It allows you to be young again regardless of age. Anything is possible. Life is exciting!

In your Summer, things are going well, seemingly without effort. You are thriving (even without trying) in your job, relationship, learning, and in life. Everything seems to go your way. You are contented and life is easy. Cruising becomes the norm. You cruise in everything you do. You simply cannot do wrong. Everything little mistake becomes a great opportunity. You are simply enjoying life as it is.

You have your Autumn, where all the effort you have put in and the foundation you have placed is finally paying off. Your boss, team members, clients, and friends love appreciate you. Your family understands your worth and how important you are to them and expresses that to you. Maybe your son or daughter (finally!) turns around and tells you what a great parent you are. The skill you have been practicing or the language you have been studying finally comes into practical use, allowing validation that you have invested your time wisely. Everything pays off. Opportunities appear everywhere and you see the world in its abundance. Life has never been more plentiful.

Then comes Winter. It is when things go wrong. A client complains. Your workplace environment becomes not ideal or even toxic. You fall out with your partner and possibly leading to a failed relationship. You hit a dead-end in your business, or worse still, go bankrupt. Your health is affected. You may receive a piece of terrible news. Anything and everything goes wrong or fails in all you do. Using the well-known expression, “Life sucks” fundamentally. It is very common (and normal) to feel like the whole world is against you and life really hates you and does not go your way.

At this time, it is useful to remember that this is just Winter. Like all the other seasons, it soon will pass. Take this time of (seemingly) tragedy to rest and regroup yourself. Find your soul again and remind yourself of what you are internal. Accept and embrace all the feelings you are having and understand that it is all part of humanity. It is only when you experience pain and suffering that you can appreciate joy, peace, and tranquillity better. Use the pain to redefine yourself. Process the suffering to understand more about yourself. Be grateful that you have been allowed to feel what you are feeling for it clearly shows that you are indeed alive and not merely living. Pain does not affect those who exist as much as those who truly live. The more pain you feel, the more alive you are.

Know that these are nothing more than life’s lessons and Spring is just around the corner. Retreat, hibernate, preserve your core but do not die (or give up). Push on because you know that undeniably, it is just a matter of time that Spring comes. When she does, you will be ready.

Your life is like the seasons. It cannot be happy or sad all the time. Accept, embrace, and enjoy every single bit of laughter and sad tears. Have faith and trust that the seasons will come and go, exactly how Nature intended it. Just like life cannot be sunny all the time, it also can’t rain all the time.

‘What feels like the end of something is usually the beginning of something else.’

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