March reminds me of a few things: my mom’s birthday, my daughter’s birthday, the day we got the puppy that’s now 9 years old, and the change from winter to Spring.
Technically, Spring starts every March 21st, whether the rodent in Pennsylvania sees a shadow or not, though the transition isn’t always smooth here in New England. My camera gallery is full of March photos of snow, and I’d guess that others are of the new growth from Spring. And, as I’m typing this, I hear the birds singing outside and feel like the earth is about to bloom.
And it strikes me… everything is cyclical.
If we pay attention to the world around us and our lives, we see that happening almost predictably, like the change of seasons. My friend, Scott Smith, talks about The Nine Year Lifecycle (he learned from his friend) sometimes on his podcast, the Daily Boost. I’ve listened to Scott’s podcast since I got my first iPod when podcasting was new.
But I’m digressing…
The cyclical nature of life guarantees one thing: change is constant, and there are certain things we can depend on. We can depend on the sun rising in the East and setting in the West. We can depend on winters being cold and summers being hot. We can depend on the fact that we’ll have good days and bad days; we’ll have good luck and bad luck; we’ll have the yin, but we’ll also have the yang.
The cyclical nature of life presents balance, order, and structure, but our lives are messy and unordered. How do we bring this balance into our lives when one minute we’re up and the next we’re down?
Finding balance as we’re ebbing and flowing through life’s cycles requires us to embrace the messiness and understand that our lives, much like the seasons, are constantly changing. We find balance in accepting change and knowing that our personal seasons will shift just as the world does. Just as winter inevitably gives way to Spring (thankfully! I’m not a snow person), our challenges and hardships will also transform, leading us toward renewal and growth, which is my current journey.
As we waltz to the cycles of life, it’s crucial to remember that balance doesn’t mean a static existence; it’s a dynamic state of adapting and flowing with the changes — just like dancers on a dance floor. Practicing things that ground us, whether mindfulness, connecting with nature, or finding joy in the small moments, can help us navigate the transitions more gracefully. Use these grounding techniques as anchors to keep us centered even when the world feels like it’s in turmoil.
Finding balance means being kind to ourselves during the winters of our lives, allowing ourselves to rest and replenish, just as the earth does under the snow. It’s perfectly normal to have “a winter wasted in [your] bed, covers thrown over [your head],” (paraphrased) as my friend Levi sings in Dawn of a New Day. And it’s also about celebrating and savoring the springs and summers, recognizing and appreciating the moments of joy and growth when they come. By tuning into the rhythms of our lives and the natural world, we can learn to navigate changes with a sense of peace and acceptance.
As we stand at the crossroads, unsure of which direction to go, we must remember that every path is part of the cycle, leading us through our own seasons of life. The decision isn’t about choosing the right or wrong path but the one that aligns with our current season, needs, and growth. Trusting in the journey, in the cyclical nature of our existence, allows us to move forward confidently, knowing that each step, each season, brings its own lessons and opportunities for balance.
Here’s the thing: the cycles of life remind us that balance is not a destination but a way of traveling. It’s about embracing change, finding joy in the journey at every nook and cranny you can find, and trusting that we have the resilience and strength to begin again, just like the daffodils pushing through the soil at the end of the winter, to find harmony within the chaos, and to create a life that reflects the beautiful, ever-changing landscape of existence.
