Most people think that leaves fall off of deciduous trees in the fall because the wind blows them off. Actually, to protect themselves during the cold/dry months of winter, trees create a seal (a build-up of cells) at the base of each leaf, shutting off the flow of water and nutrients. This leads to the death of the leaves, and also the beautiful colors. As this seal builds, the leaves are pushed ever so slightly away from the base of the tree, weakening the connection between the leaves and the tree. Eventually, this bond is so weak that a gust of wind can easily knock them loose. In other words, trees tell their leaves, “time for you to get off of me!”
For people, just as for trees, winter can be a rough season:
- the holidays come fast and furious, with lots of extra responsibilities
- the weather is harsh, often interfering with plans and upending schedules
- we spend more time indoors, making our spaces more cluttered and congested
- hours of daylight wane, which can dampen our mood
- colds and other illnesses spread quickly and sap our energy
In order to prepare for strenuous times, we can learn a lesson from the trees and intentionally shed anything that isn’t serving us. The relatively calm period between Labor Day and Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to consider what you might be able to tell “get off of me!”
A few questions to get you started…
TIME: Am I involved in any groups, organizations or activities that I don’t enjoy or feel I contribute to? Is there anything I can eliminate from my calendar or perhaps reschedule for another time?
SPACE: Do I have any furniture in my home that I don’t love or am not using? Have I accumulated/inherited pieces that are not my taste? Am I storing large items in my garage that I could donate and make space to pull my car in? Do I have a storage unit I could empty?
BELONGINGS: What do I own that I’m not using, don’t like, or makes me feel badly? What could I let go of today? (click here for some ideas)
RELATIONSHIPS: Are there people in my life who cause me grief, sadness, or stress? Is there any way to change/limit my interaction with them? Do I have any social media contacts who subtract from my quality of life?
MONEY: Am I spending money on anything that isn’t increasing my value of life? Are there any memberships or subscriptions I could cancel?
BODY: Do I own any food or drinks that I am trying to avoid? Have I held onto clothing or equipment for exercise that I dislike? Am I keeping clothing that doesn’t flatter me and makes me feel badly about my body?
The truth is, we often we fall into patterns and mindlessly maintain the status quo. This fall, as you see the leaves glide to the ground, consciously consider what you might be able to eliminate from your life.
What would you be glad to be free of?
Thank you for this today as you read from my post Fall and cooler weather is definitely on my mind here, as well now Seana.
Janine Huldie recently posted…ProFlowers Is #SavingSummer For Fall
You and I need to find an upside to this cooling weather, right Janine? Time to start dreaming of Florida again:)
Omg.. I fail all of the “Time” questions.. 🙁 But I am TOO involved to just back out. It sucks. – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
Gingi recently posted…Red Sandalwood Watch from Woodie Specs
Always a tough situation, when you are needed and integral, but still feeling a bit overextended. Sending you “good vibes” so you can persevere!
I just got rid of some bulky furniture and electronics. I didn’t need them making me feel boxed in this winter season! And under the ‘Body’ section, you don’t mean Halloween candy, right?! 😉
Ah, Halloween candy – the beginning of the “season of temptation”, which for me starts with Halloween and ends with Easter candy! I had to start buying Halloween candy I don’t really like just to make the leftovers less tempting:)
Time commitments – boy do I need to work on this one! Thanks for another great post Seana!
Laurie recently posted…Flowers to Say I Do
That seems to be the group getting the most feedback. Clearly, many of us struggle with this one. So many great causes and interesting groups to be a part of — and then getting out of them can be tricky. Thanks for the comment, Laurie!
I’m in the thick of it right now – wedding season leads to foliage season. Holidays lead to blogging opportunities. However, I don’t feel I need to shed those things, but I’d love to lessen the load. I think that time will come, and then I’ll hunker back with some healthy soup!
Tamara recently posted…When You Can Make Yourself This Happy.
Healthy soup sounds perfect! Looking forward to some great photos from foliage season – good luck, Tamara!
I love that analogy Seana! We need to shed the things we don’t need or cause us grief. This is especially important with relationships in addition to material things.
Nina recently posted…How to Help Your Babyâs Occasional Constipation
Physical things may be easier to shed, but an unhealthy relationship – left unchecked – can cause a lot of damage and leave us depleted. Lightening the load is worth the effort.
What a great post, so informative. I love the idea of what stuff I can “get off of me” .
Jill Robson recently posted…Live with less, enjoy life more!
Knowing you, Jill, I bet you don’t have much left to shed! But even POs need to take a look around and see what we can let go of to lighten the load:)
I was surprised to read the question “Do I have any social media contacts who subtract from my quality of life?” but it raises an interesting point. I think we all have certain people who constantly post negative comment or someone who makes us feel jealous because they’re always taking expensive trips or posting photos of their luxury home. There’s really no reason to keep following them!
Janet Barclay recently posted…Driving Traffic to Your Website
This is exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of when I wrote the post. I have friends who complain about the posts made by some people they are in contact with. Good to remember that we actually invite them into our lives when we connect on social media, so it is worthwhile to be mindful about these choices!
Wow do I love this parallel for shedding! More than stuff, the shedding of toxic relationships and time sucks are critical for thriving. Thanks for reminding us that its’ time to assess.
The idea of being thoughtful about social media relationships seems to be resonating, which is interesting. We choose who we let into our lives in this manner, so we can also choose to say no, right Ellen?
I need to do a little trimming now, too. Time to cancel a few things and discard some junk around my house.
Marcia @ Menopausal Mother recently posted…Bad Luck? Blame It On Mercury
Few things feel as good as shedding items from the schedule! Best of luck… enjoy the free space:)
Thanks, Liana. Sometimes our best lessons are found in the simplest places:)
Seana,
This is powerful! I love this analogy…it’s useful for myself, as well as several clients that I serve. Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by, Natalie. I know lots of us can relate to needing to let go!
Ha ha…you and your tree analogies! Good job, Seana.
Hazel Thornton recently posted…Save Your Photos!
I guess you can tell that I live in an area with lots of trees, right Hazel?
I love the phrase “Permission to pitch”! Great article!!
Thanks, Debbie. Sometimes people just need to be given permission to let go of something!