Jane Witherspoon is a Canadian expat adventurer, yoga instructor and passionate rambler who recently relocated from Panama to Denia, Spain.
For those of us that live in places with seasons, spring has sprung, and with its arrival, we can sometimes feel a sense of restlessness. A desire to cleanse and renew ourselves and our surroundings.
You may be getting busy in your yard, preparing gardens and flower beds, deep cleaning your home, decluttering rooms, and cupboards, and starting to feel that restlessness as the days get longer and warmer. Maybe your dusting off your bike or kayak, preparing them for the season ahead.
Then there is that other form of renewal. Midlife can be a transformational time, a cycle crying out for change, a new start, or a reboot. Many women will experience significant shifts and changes during this time of their lives. We can look at this time to turn our attention inward and re-evaluate what creates positivity and joy in our lives, making space for it by letting go of what no longer serves its purpose. It's a kind of internal spring cleaning and decluttering.
It is easy to stay in our comfort zone, continuing with people that provide nothing in return. These situations drain our energy, thoughts, or ideas, creating self-doubt and unhappiness. Holding on can create suffering, this baggage that we unconsciously carry around with us.
Recently my mother passed away, and I am sitting with and processing grief, but that is another Mindful Monday. But my mother’s passing has me reflecting on her life. In her mid forties my mom had a significant life shift. This was a devastating time in her life. Still, there was the hope that after a time of grieving for her previous existence, my mom would embrace it as a transformational opportunity to create a life of her choosing.
Sadly, she never learned to let go of what was and embrace what could be. I loved her dearly and struggled with the decisions she made. Still, it helped create within me the desire to live in the present moment and to work on letting go of emotions and situations that harm my happiness.
So how do we determine what no longer serves us, what to let go of in order to find more contentment with our lives?
We often just know what our intuition tells us, and we subconsciously ignore it. This is a powerful tool if we listen to and believe in our inner voice. Sometimes we continue to do something that no longer brings us joy or meaning in our lives out of habit or fear. If you have a dread of doing something, then it is time to let it go. If you dream of a future without it or it makes you feel bad about yourself, you must invest in the future you desire and work towards creating it.
Free up some space for more beneficial things to enter, for positivity, and to cultivate an attitude of growth and renewal. Wish those people well, let them go, say goodbye to situations holding you back, and release your thoughts of negativity and doubt.
And so my Sole Sisters, as you ramble out into your week, ask yourself these questions. What nourishes me? What provides me comfort? What gives me the energy to be what I want to be?
Release and detach from every person, every circumstance, every condition and every situation that no longer serves the divine purpose in your life. All things have a season, and all seasons must end. Choose a new season filled with purposeful thoughts and activities. - Iyanla Vanzant
READ MORE > Jane's Mindful Musings, Rambler Cafe Blog
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