Harvesting Happiness

Hello everyone

I write to you today from my hibernation cave - aka my beloved bedroom sanctuary - and I am wrapped in the arms of stillness, silence and solitude reflecting upon what I have harvested in the last 12 months.

As I reflected, the picture below caught my eye. It was a gift from my late Father when I was around 10 years old. I can remember, at the time, briefly glancing at it not realising that some forty years later it would become one of my most precious possessions.

Within the red frame is the poem “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann and it is said that he was inspired to write this after journaling about “desire”, (Desiderata means desire in Latin and translates to ‘desired things’).
The following words brought tears to my eyes…
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“You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.”

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In that moment I realised that in the last 12 months my own desire was to “harvest happiness”; to truly CHOOSE ME, to meet my own needs, to discover what was best for me and do everything in my power to make that desire come true.

I met that desire by immersing myself in Mother Nature, trying wherever possible to live and work in alignment with her seasons, trusting that she would keep me grounded and balanced even amidst the darkness of COVID-19 which made me at times very much doubt that the “universe was unfolding as it should.”

Today Mother Nature once again brings me back to balance by inviting me to reflect upon The Autumn Equinox which entered the UK energy field on Tuesday the 22nd September. The word “equinox” is of Latin origin and means “equal night”, the time of the year when day and night are of equal length.

The Autumn Equinox reminds me to balance all aspects of my life. To honour both the day and the night, the light and the dark, the good and the bad, happiness and sadness, the ups and the downs, the rollercoaster that is this wonderful life.

One of the ways I bring balance to my life is to simply “check in” with myself as the day begins and “check out” again as it ends. I call these my “bookends”. 

Here I feel into my seasons and honour what messages they are giving me. So, for example, if my energy is very low during my morning check in, I might have to retreat, rest, and renew in my Winter season and hibernate as much as I can throughout the day. If my energy is steeped in Spring and Summer, those are the days I can create or act on my “to-do” list. I often find myself in Autumn at the end of my day, reflecting upon what I have managed to harvest that day.

As well as reminding us to bring balance to our lives the Autumn Equinox invites us to go within and let go of old ideas, limited beliefs, habits, and actions that no longer serve us. Just as the leaves in Autumn release their grip and fall to the ground creating compost for new life to grow we too can do the same, creating fertile soil in which to plant our dream seeds for the following year.
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Autumn is the time to acknowledge and honour our own seasons of growth, harvest, death, and rebirth.

And so my friend, as the days become shorter and the nights grow longer and the lingering threat of COVID-19 surrounds us, it may feel as if you are descending into darkness and for many that can feel quite uncomfortable. I encourage you however to embrace the darkness and listen to its messages.
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Use the forthcoming seasons of Autumn and Winter to snuggle in, be gentle with yourself and acknowledge and reflect upon your own seasons and life cycle. 

Are there any areas of your life in which you can create new growth in order to harvest more happiness in 2021? Remember too that the Light will shine upon us once more with the arrival of the Winter Solstice in December and as the final sentence of the Desiderata poem says…

“With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy”.

Sending you love, light and happiness this Autumn

Maureen x

P.S. Click HERE to listen to a beautiful guided meditation by Kez Kristiansen which can help heal anxiety and disconnect through Nature. 

You can also connect with me on a deeper level or read the blogs which describe my journey with Mother Nature in the last year at www.ichooseme.org.uk

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