Hidden Spring

“The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.”(Robin Wall Kimmerer) Spring Above Here in Maryland, we are a little strange when it comes to Spring. We are very excited when it warms up and then curse the universe when it gets cold again. We watch buds come out what seems like prematurely, and then die. We are sure it’s all wrong.

The transition from Winter to Spring never looks smooth on the surface. In fact, at times, it looks a little psychotic. The sudden snow following the 60-degree temperatures last weekend comes to mind. As I write this, the current week promises to be in the 70’s, followed by another week in the 40’s and 50’s. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Spring Below Actual Spring begins long before we see a thing. The ground underneath starts to warm even when there’s snow on top. The Earth underneath that holds germinating seeds can be softening up and preparing even though it looks and feels like winter on top. Deep underground, new life is fighting hard to shed everything that no longer serves to prepare to make its journey upwards through the difficult ground, emerging as something brand new and beautiful.

Spring Within And so it is with us with any change that we try to make as human folk. On the surface, it may look like we are trying and failing and trying and failing over and over again. It’s Spring! We are motivated! We are doing the things! And then… We grow cold and want to dive back into the cozy covers of our old ways.

What’s probably more accurate is that, with each push and pull in the process of change, we are gaining the muscle and strength that we need in order to let go of those things that no longer serve: The worn out ideas, homeostatic tendencies, the fears that keep us from moving forward, our doubts about our ability to make the change, our sense of hope. It’s not exactly surprising that we are just as organically constructed as other parts of the natural world. We can learn a lot from those things that embrace it, rather than trying to force themselves into an artificial form.

No Such Thing as Failure Change looks erratic, waxing and waning on the surface. If we believe that it’s valuable to force ourselves into a fantasy of what we want growth to look like, we will see this lack of linear progress as “failure” and lose heart. The movement from within, however, is just like those seeds fighting so hard to let go of the armor that held them together and got them through the Winter. It was an identity that they once knew, but it is now transforming.

It may look like herky-jerky back-and-forth, but in truth, this is what progress looks like for organic beings like us. Learn forward. Let yourself adjust. Be attentive to the natural work-rest cycle that leads us to real and lasting transformation!

Happy Spring!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do you find yourself trying to make changes for the good only to feel set back again and again? Contact Tiffany today. Let’s look together at what movement forward can look like for you!