Rest & Renewal
We have just come through some very busy seasons…there was the constant motion of summer, the harvest of fall, and then the celebrations of early winter. The calendar tells us that this the beginning of a brand new year and our first instincts are often to take off once again running, putting in the work to make this year the best yet. We make resolutions and get going on the diligent work of seeing them through. But so often, tired from our incessant motion over the course of the last eight months, we wear out.
It is at this moment, this very first leg of a very brand new year, that I look to nature and am reminded that each new beginning originates with a period of active rest. I need to be reminded that this season, both nature’s winter and a winter of the soul, is a time where seeds that have been planted begin to take shape…being fed by the nutrients of time passed. The inner growth that is provided during these times of apparent dormancy will help the seedlings to grow big and strong and healthy.
The same is true with our dreams, goals, and ambitions. We need to allow ourselves some time of rest so that the ideas that have been planted over the past year can be tendered and nurtured. We cannot force them into rapid growth by way of list making and ultimatum giving. But rather they should be gently cultivated into healthy, well sustained visions of potential.
Most of all, I love the nature provided reminder that life is constantly evolving. This new year, this one particular new beginning, is not our one and only chance at fulfilling our potential. With each breath comes an opportunity to begin anew.
See more from Everyday Storyteller –Maegan Beishline here.
a lovely and gentle reminder. it truly resonates with me…
I wholeheartedly agree that we need rest to reach our full potential. Very insightful. #lovingthistoday