September, a Pause Between Effort and Rest

For many, September brings the changing of seasons from summer to fall. It’s a time when the high energy (and heat) of summer winds down but it is not yet time to settle indoors or shelter from the coldness of winter. As such, September serves as the pause between effort and rest; a pause between summer and winter.

The summer season is a season of great energy and growth, it is a time for planting seeds, working hard, and fueling your inner fire. But now that the summer season has come to a close, it is time to harvest the growth you have worked towards and reflect back on your efforts. As you reflect back, decide which habits and patterns you would like to carry with you and which ones you would like to let go of—even if you enjoy the activity, you can set it down if it requires too much effort or consumes too much of your time. Be deliberate about editing your life to pair down your daily activities to items that bring you joy and welcome in ease in your life.

Ease should be the goal of September. There should still some effort as we are not quite ready for rest, but that effort should not be intense. And this concept can be contrary to what much of society might tell you, but that is because much of the Western world has become obsessed with constant growth. But constant growth is not sustainable. Just as the summer blooms cannot last forever, you too cannot keep pushing forever. It’s okay to slow down, to reflect back on your summer growth, and to allow yourself to just be here in the pause without resisting the change that fall will bring.