The Fall season in NWA can be a very special time of year. The weather becomes cooler, the breeze a little crisper, and the leaves begin to change from vibrant green to jewel tones of purple, red, and gold. Unlike other areas of the nation, we truly experience the seasons changing.
Fall is a great reminder of how we don’t have to fear change. In fact, we can welcome it with anticipation and wonder. Change kind of has a bad rap. We as humans don’t tend to like it. Like, at all. Change can trigger angst, fear, and old memories. Change can threaten stability, routine, the known.
And this makes sense. If we’ve had bad experiences in the past related to change, then we may not welcome it with open arms. Therapy helps us understand, however, that although we have experienced something, we don’t have to assign an overgeneralized view of that thing going forward. For example, let’s say you lost your job in the Fall. If you tell yourself that every Fall season brings bad experiences, you may create just what you predict. If, however, you are open to flexible thinking about the Fall season, you may end up meeting new people, try a new hobby, or cross a town off your bucket list.
Basically it comes down to this… change could actually bring about healthy, good, positive change. It may not look like rainbows, puppies, and kittens, but it may be just what you needed in your life. Indeed, the winds of change don’t have to be resisted, fought with, or feared. With healthy tools we can manage and move through the unexpected, the unplanned, and the undesired. We can also receive the renewal, rejuvenation, and recharge the winds of change may have in store for us. Let’s commit to reframing the way in which we view and respond to change. It just may be the very ‘change’ we need!
