InnerSelf.com

Life's Seasons

by Marie T. Russell

Someone I was speaking with one day said to me, "I wanted to call you as soon as I saw the latest issue of the magazine to tell you how wonderful it was, and then I thought you must get tired of hearing that..." This comment raised a question in me... Is there such a thing as too much appreciation? My response to that is that when the feelings being shared are sincere, appreciation is always a boon and comfort.

Appreciation is defined in the dictionary as "grateful recognition". Studies show that plants and animals respond to praise and appreciation... they grow faster, healthier, etc. Human beings also respond to expressions of gratitude. They also blossom in the aura of appreciation.

We all need appreciation, and we especially need to give ourselves that appreciation, that self-love. If you don't love yourself and think highly of yourself, it doesn't matter how many other people tell you that you are wonderful, etc. You won't believe a word of it until you truly love and appreciate yourself.

After participating in a workshop where much of the talk and processes dealt with self-esteem, self-worth, and self-love, I mailed myself a thank-you note. It was wonderful to receive this card where I told myself how much I was appreciated, loved, etc. Every once in a while when I feel I need a boost, I pull out the card, read it, and remember who I truly am...

It's essential to take the time to appreciate the beauty within us, as well as around us. What beauty in such a daily occurrence... a sunset! Though in a sense sunsets are repetitive (there is one each day), I have never seen one that was exactly like another.

Just as we see each sunrise and sunset as completely different (which they are), we can see each moment of our life experience as completely different (which they are). Something as commonplace as driving to work, or having breakfast, or turning on the computer, can help you attain a level of peace and love when done mindfully -- as if for the first time. When we do things out of habit, we take away the joy and wonder of newness. 

We can instead choose to see each experience as brand-new and each person we encounter through the day as brand-new... letting go of past hurts, resentments, etc.

We are like trees. Our beauty lies not so much in our exterior, but in our interior beauty and love. We need to take time to reconnect with the source of our energy in order to spring forth with renewed vitality.

The bare autumn trees convey the message that whatever the appearance, whatever the exterior, what really is essential is the inside, the interior... From the outside the trees appear dead, yet we know that on the inside they are still alive, and preparing for a resurgence of beauty and aliveness.

Autumn leaves in their splendor of orange and the trees with their bare branches speak of rebirth... of cleansing by shedding the old leaves... It speaks of resting, of taking time to be silent and peaceful and to go within.

Such is the beauty of life...When we listen to our intuition (inner guidance), our lives can also be magically different every day and we can be "reborn" daily as well.

Summer has gone... and Winter is arriving... yet Spring will return. The seasons pass in nature, as in our own lives. The winter of doubt and fear does pass away as we become aware that there is no one to blame for the dark times we went through -- not even ourselves. These are simply the processes of life, the changing seasons as it were.

If you have gone through some hardships, and been taking it personally, it is time to move on. As you keep in contact with your Higher Self, at last you can have fun being you! For too long we have tried to conform and fit in...We can have a much more pleasant experience by LOVING our differences in this "new day", this new season. As we appreciate the uniqueness in everyone, we can also see the oneness of duality.

We are not limited to being who we have been. The secret to creating the life we wish, right here and now, is within us. We can heal our emotions and thus attract to ourselves similar energies as those we are sending out. We can choose which frequency we wish to emit by working with the energies. As we use the tools which surround us, such as dreams and self-knowledge, it becomes easier and easier to enjoy and celebrate life.

Recommended book:

The Little Book of Letting Go: A Revolutionary 30-Day Program to Cleanse Your Mind, Lift Your Spirit and Replenish Your Soul by Hugh Prather.

"Letting go is the bottom-line key to happiness," states Hugh Prather. And in The Little Book of Letting Go, he offers a simple three-step process for shedding prejudices, preconceptions, and prejudgments and facing each moment with openness and enthusiasm.

For more info or to order this book.

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

More articles by Marie T. Russell

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