Fear and its Friends

Autumn is officially here. Even the uncharacteristic enduring late summer and its high temperatures can't hide it!


The days have gotten shorter and the green leaves have already started to turn color. From green to red to yellow, to completely falling off the trees, it is all going to happen in the blink of an eye.


In Nature, we find the prime example of transformation. From season to season, everything in Nature transforms itself from one way of being into another, and another, and so on. It is in the 'dying' that opportunity for a new life is created. This process of transformation is ultimately the catalyst for the perpetuation of life.


The underlying aspect of transformation is change. Without change nothing can transform.  Change is something we humans cannot confront with ease. To change means to transform, to explore new ways of being. It means to shed and peel off layers so that something is left behind in the quest and need of moving forward. Fall is Nature's way of saying: what “now is” becomes "once was".


Moving from one season to another does not only change the decor of Mother Earth, it changes the biochemistry of our bodies, which in turn changes our diet, moods, thought patterns, and much more.


Change is at the heart of life itself. And as long as there is change there will be fear. For some, Autumn is their favorite season and they can't wait for it to be here! For others, the notion of leaving summer behind brings a sense of sadness and anxiety as we enter into the cold season.


The passage of seasons is but a kind invite for any of us to explore the power of transformation and change. It is a gentle reminder that nothing remains the same. Cultivating awareness about these fundamental aspects of life - transformation, change and the fear that accompanies these processes - is what prepares us to confront the challenges of life, such as relationships, jobs, people, etc.


The author Elizabeth Gilbert wisely wrote on the subject of fear that, "the less I fight my fear, the less it fights back. If I can relax, fear relaxes, too." Amen!


Let this be this month’s mantra. When the unavoidable changes of life strike, relax and maybe fear will relax too.