It’s spring, the long-awaited uptick in daylight, greening of the earth, flowering of the fruits, and opening ourselves to new life.  It’s time for your resurrection, time for you to emerge from the tomb of winter, and let your life swing into its intended purpose:  To love, to live abundantly, to create the life you want, to live on purpose, to show up for your life.

What holds us back, keeping us in darkness, living with self-imposed limitations?   Sometimes we’re afraid to want anything, because we think we can’t have it, or it won’t materialize.  So, we continue in loss of hope, only scraping by with the life we have, when it could be so very different.  We think we shouldn’t be self-centered, or maybe that we don’t even deserve it.  We sometimes give up, thinking that we’re tired of trying, and it’ll never happen anyway.

I went through a long spell believing that happiness only happens to people in the movies–so it must not be real anyway, and most of the people I knew weren’t what you’d call “happy”, so why should I even think about it?  Maybe you’ve given up, as I did; just “plugging away” in what I assumed to be the best I could expect.  Then something happens that really shakes us up: either something that dawns on us, that inspires us to try  for a life of happiness; or a big change is imposed on us by someone or something outside ourselves.  Either way, we’re compelled to rethink our assumptions and emerge into the light.  Spring is the perfect time to enlighten ourselves and our lives.

Once in the “light” we adjust to the blinding possibilities–often finding our way with the help of others. If you’ve read this far, you’re truly interested in a path of self-discovery and renewal.  Congratulations!  You’re already interested, and maybe you’ve taken a number of steps for personal growth, which means you’re well underway.  If you’re seeking a few things to do for yourself, I hope you find these suggestions helpful:

 SPRINGTIME STEPS FOR PERSONAL RENEWAL

1. Rake the old, dry leaves away = Get Spiritual. Practice meditation, during which you clear out your busy mind by reminding your brain, every time a thought comes up, to let it go.  You don’t need to scold your mind for having a thought, because that’s what it’s designed to do.  Just say to your mind, “Not now”.  Try counting your breaths, which will distract you from your frantic mind.  Do this for even a few minutes, and breathe in the springtime air.

2. Expose new shoots to the light = Get Real.  Identify who you really are, and take note of that.  Writing notes to yourself, drawing, putting up sticky notes on your mirror are ways to help yourself identify the real you, what you like, what you enjoy, how you usually think, plan, and carry on your days.  Expose yourself–your TRUE self to the light, and find there what you can cheer for!

3. Plant new seeds = Get Smart. Learn about all the new ways that psychologists and life coaches are recommending for getting your renewal started, or continuing a process already begun.  There are so many sources to learn from, but the best is to consult regularly with a life coach whose job it is to listen and reflect back to you what you say you want, and then help you stick to a plan to get there.

4. Fertilize the ground = Get Happy.  Just as you choose which compost or nutrients to apply to your plants, you can CHOOSE happiness.  In a coaching relationship, we often identify those things for which we’re grateful, and those things that need “enriching”.  Often it turns up that, our marriages could use a tune-up; or our parenting has suffered, or that we really need to move our bodies more.  All these steps are pathways to happiness that you can CHOOSE!

I’d love to hear from you, and I’d be honored to walk the path of spring renewal with you!