What do we do when our lives mirror the seasons—when certain opportunities or relationships or beliefs must wither before new possibilities can emerge in the spring? I seem to be in this cycle right now, and while the expectation of growth is exciting, the process doesn’t always feel that happy.
With this process facing me and mine, I decided to make another choice. To do as much as I could to surround myself with the things that make me happy as it unfolds. Be present with it, yes, but not wallow in it.
An interesting analogy popped into my mind as I was mulling these thoughts over. I am a writer, you know. In my family, we often decorate our homes with relics of the change in season at this time of year. The pine cones and fall leaves that fall from the trees going dormant outdoors become artful centerpieces for our holiday tables. The holly tree outside my house provides beautiful branches for a festive wreath.
Happiness is Repackaging.
Do we look at the gorgeous fall leaves and get all depressed, thinking about that color being a symbol of their impending death? No. We stand in wonder at their glory.
We too are glorious during these cycles. It’s just sometimes harder for us to see because…well, change hurts sometimes. All we can do is be present with our feelings about the process while also repackaging how we think about it.
I won’t kid a kidder. There are times in our lives when we’re not dancing for joy, when happiness feels elusive, when we’re flat-out hurting. It’s part of being human. Yet there are always things we can do to try and lift ourselves back up, people we can be around who support us.
Repackage these moments. I expect you will find pockets of happiness. Even better, I hope you will break through to a state of greater happiness soon—like I plan to do.