“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
YES, this. The less humid air. The cozy hug of a wool coat with the deep pockets rescued from the basement closet. The mugs full of tea after the morning coffee. And the burst of energy to organize and plan and make each email response punchy. (Which, to be fair, could be because of all the extra caffeine.)
My week before fall started was not at all like this. It was a drag through the mud of old thought patterns and nagging worries. But then rain and cooler air came to Denver overnight, and I woke up on the morning of the fall equinox with this idea: It’s time to let go of the chase.
The chase is spring and summer energy. It’s going to visit friends and family in far-flung spots. It’s trying to go from good to better to best in every weekend and picture. For me, it was chasing a word count in my novel all summer long. And it was going after friendships, old and new, like I needed all of them to be everything all at once.
But fall is harvest energy. It’s holding that there’s enough already. It’s slowing down and seeing what comes, or what is already here. It’s coming back inside after venturing out into the world.
This simple shift has made me feel like a different human from last week to this one. I’ve started asking myself these two questions:
1) About the book: How can I find clues in what is already there? Who does my main character want to become? These questions took me back to the beginning of the book instead of continuing to spin my wheels over the ending.
2) About life: How can I find clues in what is already there? What plans make me feel energized and awake, and which do not? These questions took me to new, outside-the-box ideas and real EXCITEMENT about them.
Starting over again in the fall is, for me at least, about the release of pressure from the summer. There is so much energy possible when we shrug off pursuing and look around.
Yesssss!!! Feeling this. Thank you for the sensory dance through all the magic that is fall AND for sharing your recent aha moments. I’m inspired by your insights and am taking these reminders with me into a busy, full, yet oh-so-fun week.