And an invitation to Stillness
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere like me, this week brings you the first day of Winter. I know some of you are excited about that. Some, maybe not so much. And if you are one of those people looking at the next thirteen weeks with dread, I’d like to share with you a little positivity and a lesson about stillness we can learn from it.
I went shopping at a nearby nursery last week. As the man who works there handed me my receipt, I said, “See you in the Spring!” And his reply has stuck with me all week. He said, “It’s closer than it is far.” I have to admit, as much as I talk about the seasons, I’ve never realized how much closer the Winter brings us to Spring. Even though it’s cold and the abundance of the rest of the year looks like it has died away, it truly is the gateway into Spring. But it’s a season that is certainly not one to be rushed or looked over.
I think I move through the rest of the year not longing too much for the next Season. They each have their own energy to entice me. And then we get to Winter and the temperature continues to drop and so much more time is spent indoors. And the call to slow down is too apparent to ignore. I won’t deny there is an energy to Winter too. And it can be magical. But it’s also a time of patience. Of quiet and reflection. And when those things don’t come naturally, it can feel like the longest season there is. So we suck it up, and we wait. But the truth is that this is the last leg before Spring. And if you hate Spring, sorry, but there’s a point here, I promise.
When we think about that waiting and growth, and how the last leg of something can often feel like the most difficult one – that’s often when we’re the closest to completion. Whatever it is – a goal, a healing – it can feel like we’ll never reach that point where our efforts are apparent. That’s the time when we can begin to stop and reflect and prepare for our success.
It’s inevitable that as we continue on our journeys, we are going to experience those times of Winter in our growth. Of waiting in what feels like forever. And maybe, like Winter, that time is the most difficult. It’s when we may even experience the most stress or doubt. It’s like the coldest day in Winter – when it’s impossible to even imagine the thawing warmth of Spring. It is in those moments, where we are can benefit most from Stillness. Where we learn to trust that even if we’re not in a full expression of doing, we can still thrive. Not by racing to the next stage or wishing it closer, but by drawing our attention inward and cultivating our own awareness and warmth. It may still feel uncomfortable, no season is without its difficulties. The important thing to remember is like Spring in the Winter, that which we yearn for is likely much closer than it seems.
We cannot deny the Winter because we long for the Spring, just as we cannot deny our current state because we long for the next. If we do – if we forget to pause and appreciate this season of our lives – we may miss what is necessary for us to appear with abundance when it’s time.
Today’s meditation is an invitation into that stillness. A moment to slow down. To move inward. To relish in this moment. To be present. It’s so important, now more than ever, to give ourselves that gift. As we prepare for the entrance of Winter, the final lap before Spring, I invite you to continue to heighten that internal awareness. To look to the places within yourself that need warmth, or love, or forgiveness – and send your strength there. Prepare yourself to shine when the time is right. Because no Winter lasts forever. And every day that passes brings you closer to your Spring.