Winter

According to research done on the subject, winter is at the bottom of people's favorite seasons list. The assumption is that the cold weather, and shorter, darker days make going outside uncomfortable. The reduction of sunlight has been proven to make some people depressed. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD was brought to everyone's attention in the early 1980's by Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal. There is information about healing it floating around on the internet, if you think it might be affecting you. Depending on location, the modern human does not spend much time outdoors, though, so maybe there is more to it than that. The bustle of the holidays is over, travel is difficult, and there you are, forced to reflect inwardly. There is even a term, 'winter of the soul', where you brood in the dark about your aloneness and worthlessness and grieve your losses. This activity is not necessarily a bad experience. "I like these cold, gray winter days. Days like these let you savor a bad mood." - Bill Watterson Humor aside, winter does have many beautiful lessons to teach us about patience and hope.

The landscape changes- Everything looks different in the winter, giving a new perspective on the scenery you see daily. Even the night sky is changed as the combination of cold air and less humidity in the atmosphere make the stars appear brighter and more defined. "In winter, the stars seem to have rekindled their fires, the moon achieves a fuller triumph, and the heavens wear a look of more exalted simplicity." - John Burroughs Going outside to appreciate the changes requires more preparation, more planning, and more grit but maybe that is why, once you've done it, it feels that much more exhilarating. "To truly appreciate nature, one must grow to love winter, too. Sure, summer days are long with their jumps in the lake and sun-kissed shoulders. But have you ever tried a long walk in a snow-covered forest? Now, that rejuvenates the soul." - Wild Things, by Nature The loss of visual distractions and creature activity can give your eyes new sight. "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust

Time to rest- The first of January is always associated with goals for self-improvement. There is usually a long list of things that must be done to achieve these goals. If your energy this time of year is diminished, you might fail to be able to follow through. We are natural beings and nature slows down during the winter. If we were able to tap into our body's natural winter cycle, I think we would want to permit ourselves to take it easy. "The plants and the earth are resting. Maybe we should too. The long days will be here soon enough." - Rebecca Raiden It is alright to not be pushing ourselves so hard and trying to constantly achieve. "There is nothing in nature that blooms all year long, so don't expect yourself to do so either." - unknown

Time of stillness- stillness is an amazing word. It holds tension like something is there waiting beneath the surface. It is energy held back, something paused rather than ended. I love the following quote, "Stillness is the flower of winter, all hope waits beneath a blanket of white." - unknown Hope that life will soon be bursting through and bringing energy back to rejuvenate us. The term 'the dead of winter' describes the bleakest, darkest part of winter, which is where we are as I write this. Yet, the hope that it will pass cannot be tamed. "The winter is a stillness and a darkness and a sleep, but not a death, for in the earth the roots of life go deep. A rest... then re-creation and a glad new burgeoning. Every day in wintertime is one day nearer spring." - Patience Strong

Time of reflection- The curse of our modern world seems to be the loss of time for reflection. The constant pull on our attention of jobs, media, businesses spamming our emails daily, our self-improvement goals, religious activities/spiritual practices, and having to use our mental energy to make hundreds of daily choices about every little thing. This is exhausting. To decompress, we seem to like Netflix marathons, TikTok rabbit holes, and doom scrolling, but not sitting with ourselves and looking inward. "By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is the noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." - Confucius Reflection is for finding your truth from your perspective about all the things that have meaning to you. It can be used to look at your thoughts, emotions, and actions (self-reflection) or in general to ponder the nature of God, people, animals, places, and things that have affected you or others. It can be done through journaling, prayer, meditation, or staring out a window. Philosophers, spiritual leaders, and truth seekers throughout centuries have advised that it is an essential process for personal growth.

If reflection is so great, then why don't we turn to it for relaxation? Because it is hard. When we reflect on things outside ourselves, we can see how powerless we are to change them. Self-reflection is even worse because then we feel like we have to have some control. "Everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you have made. If you want a different result, make a different choice." - unknown Gee, thanks. Making a plan to make better choices leads us right back around to setting goals for self-improvement, which is work requiring action and commitment. What if we choose not to use the things that we find while reflecting as another chore to do? How about we just accept them and allow them to set? Let them hibernate in stillness, with the hope that the future will unfold beautifully without any force from us. We can wait and use the energy of spring to help us adjust to any changes that emerge as a result of the unfolding. "Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius." - Pietro Aretino If you liked the quotes used in this post, I created printable sheets you can find here.

Love and Hope,

Big Sky Baby