Yesterday morning was one of those crispy fall mornings that I love, where everything is frozen in time. As I walked around my yard with my camera (and my dog Opie), I was thinking about all of the leaves that had fallen ~ it seems like it starts slowly and then before you know it the trees are bare. As I looked at the trees, I began to notice a few leaves here and there that were still holding on for dear life! I zoomed in with my camera to one of the leaves on a poplar tree. It looked like it had bites taken out of it and it was traced with frost along all of its edges. It looked determined and strong in its will to hang on. I loved how this leaf really didn't care what all the rest of the leaves were doing ~ it was kinda doing its own thing. I could relate in fact to what this leaf was doing ~ I have found myself, in pretty similar situations. Hanging on ~ by the skin of my teeth ~ to keep things the same ~ to just keep doing what I'm doing, even though the season is over. It's usually a combination of denial and fear of change. Denial that I have outgrown my space ~ kinda like wearing your swim team jacket from high school 20 years later. Ya, it's kinda cool but doesn't quite hold the same magic it once did. It is part of the past. Then there's fear ~ fear of change ~ fear of the future ~ whether we want to admit it we thrive in this life by learning and growing ~ just like the trees! However, it's not unusual to become complacent or unaware that you are not getting the same joy out of something that you used to ~ we simply outgrow our experiences and when this happens it is time to learn something new, to expand who you are into a new experience. Hanging in that tree is like dragging around a suitcase of old stuff that has no use. Think of it in terms of a phone or laptop ~ they evolve and while it is frustrating to learn sometimes, do you want to go back to the first phone you ever owned? Technology keeps us learning and growing ~ pushing us through the growth spurts. If we don't pay attention to where we are and how we feel we just keep doing the same thing over and over again! When we observe ourselves regularly we are more in tune with how we are feeling, doing the things we are doing. We can recognize when we need a change. We can make little changes here and there over time rather than having to be pulled kicking and screaming ~ ripped away, falling to the ground, not knowing where you belong. By keeping in touch with how you feel you will have time to realize that letting go of that branch is exactly what you want to do. That leaving behind all of those hollow outgrown pieces will lighten your load with understanding and knowing! Letting go should be a rush of excitement ~ the wind will pick you up and carry you to your next adventure ~ of growth and inspiration! Let Go and Fly!
~ Colleen ~ The voice of Gabriel Free