A Fresh Start

Whilst many of us live in areas that have traditionally experienced four distinct seasons, it would seem the shoulder seasons of autumn and spring that were meant to gently usher us between summer and winter are no longer as pronounced as they once were.

Whilst we’re currently witnessing the turning and falling of autumn leaves at Inspirations HQ, a recent flurry of winter weather took us all a little by surprise. Our mornings and evenings greeted us with an unexpected chill, the winds blew, the rain fell and our daylight hours suddenly seemed far fewer. Had we blinked and missed autumn?!

It turns out we’re not the only ones who’ve felt the acceleration between seasons.

In a recent email from Ingrid Fetell Lee, she found herself searching for spring in the northeast of the United States. Winter seemed to be dragging its feet a little longer than usual and Ingrid had a sneaking suspicion that summer would suddenly be upon her.

For Ingrid, the sensations of blossoming, growth and potential have become synonymous with spring and as Mother Nature didn’t seem to be following her usual timeline, Ingrid decided to cultivate her own personal spring as she renewed her surroundings, routines and mindset.

Some of the simple ways Ingrid created a sense of renewal were to bring home fresh flowers, spend time in nature, switch existing art and décor between rooms in her house, cook a new recipe, change her routine, organise one small thing and plant seeds both literally and metaphorically.

Ingrid closed her email with the reminder that although life may not provide the opportunity for many complete fresh starts, we can still access the feeling of a clean slate through experiences of renewal. Whilst Ingrid’s list was intended to usher in spring, we realised it could be used to honour a change of season, no matter the time of year.

Whether they be literal or figurative changes of seasons in life, we’d love to hear what you do to cultivate a fresh start and a sense of renewal in what surrounds you – we may just use them as we look to the clean slate winter’s ushering us into at Inspirations HQ!