How many seasons will we each go through?
No one ever really knows…we have seasons that seem to come as quickly as they came and others that seem to last forever. Some seasons we never imagined that they would come and yet they end up changing us forever. Even others come and we do not realize the impact they leave until something years later, triggers a memory.
Our lives are built on seasons — the coming and going of people, events, and places.
We are surrounded by the will of time and the never-ending moments that have been captured in those seconds and minutes. And although our path may seem unknown at the time, somehow we know it is where we are meant to be. We are infant, then young, then adult, and finally old.
But the kind of seasons I am talking about do not have to do with age, but more about the experience of life instead and the lessons it brings along the way.
We can shift from one season to another, but these will always go in this order:
The season of Conformity:
During this season, we are following instructions and learning to listen to directions. We are discouraged from thinking outside the box, creating something new, or coloring outside the lines. There are rules that must be followed — regardless if we understand them or not.
The season of Confusion:
Life gets busy and we are responsibility-driven, but also hear the voice of our heart too. We are unsure which one to listen to and practicality and logic have become our sounding board. But we also are being called by our soul and our purpose as well.
The season of Choice:
No matter how long it takes us or where we are at the time, we will come to a point when we have to decide. Others may never understand the agreement we make with ourselves, and yet we know we cannot live any other way. It becomes not just something we believe in, but something that must be done.
The season of Clarity:
After it is all said and done, everything that doesn’t matter seems to have faded away and the only thing that remains is what should be there. And without really trying to focus on your purposeful life, it has become very clear that this is the ONLY life you should live. You begin to understand the struggles you faced and the failures you endured…you begin to accept the role you now must play and the people you will impact…you begin to use the talents and skills you never really knew existed.
The season of Calm:
After you have passed through the previous four seasons, you find yourself in a place of peace. In it, you will find your true self and the very reason you were born. You accept your place in this world and welcome the adventure that awaits you as you travel your journey.
So, which season are you in right now?
Which season do you want to be in? Once you learn to recognize them, they will not be something that you fear, but something you treasure instead.
We will follow this same pattern throughout ours lives and will revert back to past seasons to confirm our choices and where we are. Some seasons are shorter than others, while others need more work. They each serve a purpose. They each have value. They each take us somewhere. They each are to be appreciated and although we don’t know when these seasons will come and go, we will certainly know what to look for when we see differences and change on the horizon.
Recognize and admit which season you are in…are you full of questions with no clear answers?
Are you following the crowd and didn’t even know it? Are you in a place of chaos and are swirling around as if you were in a tornado? Are you at a place when making the necessary choice is frightening, but staying where you are is worse? Are the right people coming into your life at the right time to calm the seas? Are you beginning to see where you should be is not necessarily where you are now?
Once you find the season you are in now, take the necessary steps and look for the clues to guide you the rest of the way. They will always be present, but not necessarily in the way you would like them to be.
“Never be afraid to shed what no longer serves you or to grab a hold of something else that comforts you.”
