Here we are again, another spring equinox upon us in the northern hemisphere. Our world continues to change in new ways every day. I’m grateful that each change of the season offers a chance to pause and evaluate my thoughts, feelings, and my behaviors. Especially spring, when the light and dark are coming into balance, and there is an essence of renewal in the air. 

This year, I think I’m going to take a bit longer pause than just a few moments on the equinox. I’m feeling like a longer pause is necessary to really catch my breath and find enough stillness that will stay present with me even as the world around me continues to change at this rapid pace. I’m leaning into the idea that spring lasts for three months, and plants take time to emerge and become. They create their stable and healthy state before producing their fruits. I can really use a longer pause to recognize and breathe into what is and become still and stable there so that I can leap forward into the next season or thing or moment. 

I have found myself (and heard many others) trying to hold onto the past while also waiting for the future to arrive. When we are always in this state of desiring to have something back and trying to anticipate or wait for the future to arrive, we miss the present moment. We miss noticing our experience, who we are, and identifying if we are showing up how we want to be. 

This spring, I invite you to take some time to pause and reflect with me. We’ve all experienced grief and loss throughout this pandemic, and it has also provided the opportunity for us to rethink and evaluate our values, our identity, and our behaviors. Pause and notice if you are in alignment with your values. Maybe even evaluate if your values are still aligned with your present state. Change and transition are inevitable, and this includes who we want to be and how we want to show up in the world. Try letting go of your perceived “normal” to engage with the reality of the present. Shed what no longer serves you. Plant the seeds of new beginnings, feed and nurture them, and allow time for them to germinate, grow, and flourish. It’s time to align with calmness and inner peace so that we can endure and adapt with the rapid pace of change happening outside our control.

Pause, breathe, become still, really still, and notice what’s there.