How Does Spring Influence New Beginnings?

We all come to periods in our lives when we sit down and reflect on the path we have chosen – sometimes regretting certain choices and missed opportunities.

And many of us have made drastic changes along the way, trying to make a fresh start in life. Yet no matter what we do, we always end up feeling the same way. The outer conditions may be different, but inside we’re still the same.

So when and how does a genuine fresh start begin?

Imagine taking a walk in nature and being surrounded by the colors and signs of spring. You notice the beautiful lavender petals of the crocus flowers, peeking through the ground. You see robins darting from tree to tree, singing sweet songs of a new season. You’re drawn to the buds on the dogwood tree, ready to burst into full bloom. You feel the change in temperature coming through a light breeze. You can sense that everything is changing – in preparation for a new cycle, a rebirth.

In nature, there is nothing that is not continually renewing itself – and that constant renewal is out of the ground of what no longer is. Nature knows that in order to renew itself, it must step out of the old and into a brighter, lighter way of being – much like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

There’s a shedding of the old in order to make room for the emergence that’s wanting to take place. And like the caterpillar, the change is happening from the inside out – from a place of wholeness and depth.

Superficial starts never last. You can fix the outside all day long. But until you go inward, and create from the depth of your emotions, the “fix” isn’t going to last. It becomes a band aid for wanting to be healed underneath or better understood inside.

If you want to make a fresh start in your life, you have to put yourself where a fresh start actually takes place – in your heart and in your mind. You have to truly feel the change – and really desire the change. And once that’s achieved, you can make up your mind that, yes – this change is welcomed.

And from there, a plan of action can be put into place – allowing you to spring forth into a new beginning with an authenticity that honors who you are from the inside out.

Nature is constantly changing – without hesitation. It “just is.” It’s our greatest teacher when it comes to healing that which needs to be healed – and emerging again in full bloom.

With the official start of the spring season finally here, I’d like to invite you to pay attention to what gifts spring has to share around the theme of rebirth and renewal.

Think about your own new beginning and ponder the following nuggets of wisdom:

• Spring comes to even the most desolate situations.
• Don’t turn away from small gestures of support. Let them in. Invite them in. You never know how they will add up and multiply.
• Things bloom best when the conditions are right. In the case of a desert, millions of seeds that have been dormant for years come alive eventually. Enough moisture in the soil melts away the waxy protective coating that keeps seeds viable for years and signals when the conditions are right to sprout, grow, and flourish.
• As you begin to bloom, your essence attracts others. By freely sharing ideas, resources, and tips, you foster more growth and development – for yourself and for those who come forward to support you.
• Your spring growth can trigger a ripple effect that may touch people in ways you can’t even imagine.
• Your actions may be a source of inspiration. You may produce something that feeds others in some way – through gifts of information, knowledge or ideas.
• As the real season of spring unfolds in your area of the world, watch how your surroundings come alive with activity – being triggered by growth that’s happening from the inside out.
• When the season of spring fades, the seeds from your own life can hold the potential for more growth, beauty, and excitement. When conditions are, once again, right for growth – you will see even more blooming.

What wisdom can you gain from the fabulous show of spring? And how can it influence your own sense of new beginnings?

Trust Your Own Sense of Timing – Although you may be eager to get on with your new beginning, don’t act before you feel ready. Jumping into action because you are feeling pressured from people who love you or because you think you should is counterproductive. When you are ready to move forward, you will feel it. You’ll feel more energized and focused than you have in a long time. If you hesitate, even when you have a clear plan, examine why you are hesitating. Connect with yourself on an emotional level – and find creative ways to refine your vision so you feel more comfortable taking action.

During this spring season, give yourself permission to “begin again” from the inside out, fully releasing yourself from the old way of doing things. Allow yourself to bask in nature’s wisdom of new beginnings by honoring your own self-healing and self-renewal. This is a necessary transition toward making a “real” fresh start.

Take your cues from nature and open yourself to new beginnings – one petal at a time, as you blossom into the newest version of you.