November thoughts
As we head deeper into autumn, warm memories of summer and dread of the cold winter often cloud our thoughts—but you have the power to change that!
Today is the first day of November. As the days cool, the leaves fall, and darkness crowds out the daylight, our thoughts often turn to the cyclical nature of life and death. We are born into this world without knowing how many seasons we will witness coming and going, with no certainty that our spring will take us into summer and fall. As each year passes, we we find ourselves going from excitement about the future to worrying about the present to reminiscing about the past.
It took me 50 years to figure out that it doesn't have to be that way. Each day, each moment, every NOW is worthy of focus. Your past experiences were but moments that happened as a result of the universe moving towards that particular moment. Your reaction to the moment is what made you consider it "your" experience. It's important to be able to let go of those experiences, good and bad, and live every moment now as it happens. Emotional reactions now to things that happened before (or have not happened yet) do not serve you well; they only drain you of energy you need to experience—and appreciate—life as it happens.
So as we head into the penultimate month of the year, let's not think wistfully of the warmth of summer or ruefully of the winter ahead. Instead, let's watch the squirrels as they gather nuts, notice the fiery colors of the changing leaves, and take in the stark branches of the bare trees as they appear. Let's live each moment now as the precious gift from the universe that it is.
