Ah, Springtime in Wisconsin! What is not to love! The bright blue sky, the birds chirping wildly, and the grass greening after the first big rain. All of our hopes of a new year, warm weather, and a fresh start gather in our hearts. For many of us, we look forward to getting outside, doing the outdoor activities we enjoy, whether it’s running, biking, walking, or some other work out, or the other excuses we make for being outside longer, like tackling the landscaping projects, gardening, playing outside with the kids.
The weather is unique in that it is the tie that binds us all. We all enjoy the great weather, and we all have that same feeling inside- the excitement of seeing the first robin, the wonder of seeing the first tulip push its way up through the fresh flowerbed soil, the first daffodil blooming in the neighborhood. The freshness of it all gives us a sense that is time to refresh and renew ourselves. This is why we get the urge for that seasonal spring cleaning in our homes. Room to room, we go, ridding our homes of excess clutter, and cleaning the corners, walls, ceilings, and baseboards we sometimes miss in our hurriedness to just get the cleaning done the rest of the year.
What if we used this time of year to do some spring cleaning in some other places in our lives? How’s your body doing? Got any parts that need a little tune-up? How is your work-life balance? Things a little off-kilter? Or how about your relationships with your family or friends? Are there some people or issues that need a little attention? Does your spiritual life contain the depth you would like it to have, and does it influence the behaviors and choices you make? Deep questions, I know. But springtime is a great time to look at a few of these areas, because research shows that even areas that are not physical in nature take a tremendous toll on our overall health and well-being over the years. It doesn’t take huge leaps and changes, but just by taking some time to address the small, nagging issues and making tiny adjustments here and there, you can re-direct unhealthy paths and reduce stress.
It’s springtime. Now’s the perfect time to do some reflecting while our hearts are open and ready. Let’s set a few goals and attack some problems areas that we all have, and, let’s face it, appeared a lot harder to confront when it was snowy, cold, and cloudy every day. As Francesca Battistelli says… “This is the moment, it’s on the line. Which way you gonna fall?” It’s your life- take charge today!