An Autumn Reflection Practice: Letting go and Planting Seeds
Fall reflection and journaling prompts
Fall is in full swing here in the Northern hemisphere. The nights are crisp, the light is softening, and the leaves are entering their final transformation.
As the earth prepares for a season of dormancy, only the vital parts of the plants remain; everything else is released, preparing the ground for new life in the spring.
We have much to learn from the rhythms of nature, and autumn teaches us the value of letting go. As the trees shed their leaves, we are asked to consider what we might be ready to release.
It may sound simple, but release is rarely easy. In fact, letting go is often painful, stressful, challenging, and filled with conflicted emotions. I don’t want to downplay that. Letting go can be hard.
However, letting go does not always mean loss. Sometimes letting go means transformation, and it is often an essential step toward finding new growth.
A quieter, less-appreciated aspect of fall is the overwintering of seeds. Many plants shed their seeds in the late summer and autumn—a literal byproduct of letting go. These seeds burrow into the soil, waiting all winter for spring’s warmth to breathe them to life. In letting go, the plant literally sows the seeds for future growth.
What if we viewed letting go as a way of fostering new growth in our own lives? What might be forming beneath the surface if we are able to make the space?
Reflection/Journaling Questions:
What in your life belongs in another season? What could be released to make way for new growth?
What keeps you holding on to the things that are ready to release? (Fear? Habit? Identity? Responsibility? Logistics? Hope? Self-doubt?)
What emotions come up when you imagine releasing the thing you identified in question 1? Take some time to feel/process/validate your feelings.
What “new seeds” do you want to plant now? How will you tend to these seeds over the next season or two to support their future growth?
How might letting go of one thing (your answer to question 1) plant the seeds for another (your answer to question 4)?