The True Reason for the Seasons

Each of our four natural ecological seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) are so necessary. Each has its natural transition from the beginning, to the middle and the end before the cycle repeats itself. It is very much like the various evolutions and cycles of life. Somehow the Holidays no matter what your choice to celebrate brings about expectations that are often beyond one’s own ability to even imagine given the various circumstances that one may be in and or going through.

It is important to remember that just as the seasons come, seasons go and our issues are very similar in the sense that they tend to come and go. They last through the various phases whether we are in a great season of life celebrating a new adventure, of going to a new school, starting a new job, starting a new relationship, starting a new marriage, becoming a new parent, going on a vacation and the list goes on; or contrary going through a painful season mourning the loss of a loved one, losing a job, going through a break up, experiencing a life threatening illness and or that of a loved one.

We are not designed to be all stages at all times and much like the seasons of the weather changes, we too must change. Nothing truly stays the same and perhaps knowing this may help you get through each season, one moment at a time.

The weather appears to have some range of expected seasonal changes, temperatures and environmental changes that support such transformations. None, however, can be predicted and we must prepare to weather the various storms of life by knowing that although the weather in season calls for sunshine and 70 degree weather, it could rain and actually be 45 degrees. What does one do? One can, prepare with an umbrella on hand and a fold up rain coat to keep handy in such an example.

Believe it or not our seasons of life are very similar. We could be expecting a great day given all of the circumstances at hand in the moment and in a moment our mood can be impacted by the throws of life that propels us into a horrible outcome. What can one do? One can, prepare with an umbrella emotional plan that is made up of the various spokes that holds the umbrella together symbolically by doing the following:

Note in advance that life requires a rainy and or stormy day plan

Decipher what brings you comfort and build it in

• Is it prayer?
• Is it a confidant?
• Is it your favorite activity i.e., going for a walk, run and or working out?
• Is it breathing with the support of an app?
• Is it listening to your favorite podcast?
• Is it listening to music?
• Is it dancing?
• Note your emotions in the storm?
• Note that you have to activate your stormy day plan?
• Note that having multiple “spokes” in your “umbrella” plan will not fail because in the likelihood of your confidant being unavailable, one of the aforementioned and or many are better than one failed attempt
• Talk out loud to yourself! It helps, especially when your thinking consumes you with negative thoughts spiraling in your mind

 

The consequences of a buildup can be detrimental to your emotional and overall wellbeing. Please do not permit your thoughts to build up and confuse you with an impulsive and irrevocable plan like suicide.

Often, we speak of suicide as being caused by depression when in fact, depression has many faces and a variety of hats. Depression can be driven by mood challenges that require a medical diagnosis and treatment from a medical doctor, psychiatrist, therapist and a combination of all of the above. It can be driven by a series of anxious thoughts that cause one to feel overwhelmed and tired, which can mimic and or mirror serious depression. Depression can be triggered by anger and resentment at others, self and or a combination of the aforementioned. Depression can be triggered by the trauma of your past and can have a grave impact on your present day due memories that overwhelm you. The range of emotions are much like our seasons so please try the following:

• Note your expectations to yourself
• Note your disappointments to yourself
• Put your aforementioned coping plan to work
• Try to balance your thoughts with facts vs. what may actually be a false set of beliefs based on the “what ifs of life” or negative projections of what is not real, but may be experienced as a feeling
• We can get through trials by saying them and speaking them aloud
• We can also get through trials by writing them out
• We can in other words, do something constructive before our emotions cause us to see things from a very imbalanced and/or irrational perspective causing us to react in an irrational manner
• We really want to change our circumstance and or end the pain of the raging issues
• We can deal with our issues just like the unexpected or unpredicted weather storms according to the meteorologist and or our weather app by having an umbrella at hand

 

These are some suggestions that serve as a surface start to the many who could use a life season prep plan. The plan’s purposeful outcome is so that you can take actions that may result the following:

• An initial failure
• A fall, that you can get up from
• A major disappointment

However, the following can occur:

• Another opportunity to recover
• A brand new rebound
• Another advantage to try again with a clear head and clear plan
• A testimony to share and encourage others

Our emotions need our help and a plan because when we are stuck “in our feelings” and unable to separate from the feeling, the results can lead us to react impulsively instead of being proactive. Being proactive is noting that the reasons for the seasons helps our growth through the exposure to great weather days as well as the weather storms; all of which are a natural part of life.

Please, please talk it out before you act out on your thoughts that are driven by your emotions and or circumstances. Your emotions are depending on you to get through the trial not be stuck and or end your life in the moment which is final and eliminates the ability to resolve, recover and/or learn from the trial that can ultimately help you beyond the moment. Your trial may even allow you to help others. You see, you will then have an opportunity to help someone through their serious emotional circumstance by witnessing perhaps the signs, actions and wording that may be very similar to your previous signs, behaviors and words that indicated your personal thoughts about ending your life. You however, if going through such emotional and situational trials can become the first recipient of your life lesson and then you may be compelled to help others through their trial and pain. Your trials are not for naught. In fact, your trials can become your biggest reward, life lesson and strength building experience that creates your ability to endure life’s challenges with newly learned wisdom.

The true reason for the seasons is to note there is a beginning, middle and an end to the season. We are learning even through the various seasons of Covid and other serious life-threatening trial, that each may create uncertainty, but they do not last always with the same level of intensity. Trials get better with choosing to live through each trial and not give in or give up. Instead give yourself an opportunity to see your way to sight through reaching out for help. You are so important, a valuable member of the universe and if you don’t believe it, someone in your circle including your doctor, friends, therapist, confidant will remind you. I don’t know you and I already know that I value you just because of you being your unique self that has your unique gifts to offer unlike anyone else. You can benefit from getting help.

I truly hope that this is and has been helpful, dear reader. When in doubt about your emotional stability and of if you are having serious negative thoughts, I implore you to reach out immediately to someone in your circle. If you are considering suicide and/or harming yourself/or others, please call 911, get yourself to the nearest emergency room department and report that you are having such thoughts and/ or call the suicide hotline at: 1-800-273-8255.

If you are interested in counseling, please reach out by sending a message on this website and I would be glad to talk with you and explore options whether I am your choice as a therapist or not. I am a life guide and will see you through to assistance to the very best of my ability. May the reason for this seasonal message have reached you and given you a little bit of hope, clarity and a better, not perfect, but better plan to understanding the true reason for the seasons of life.

Dear reader, Thank you for taking the time to read this message and may it inspire, enlighten or remind you in some small way how to weather the various seasons of life.