Hey there , I thought I'd check in with you today just to see how you're feeling . I know that myself . With the seasons changing and fall sort of coming upon us , labor Day brings around all sorts of feels , doesn't it ? I know ? For me it's about family gatherings and
who will be joining and who is no longer with us , and also about the reminder that these moments are so precious .
Speaker 1I can remember vividly one year back what I was doing on this Thursday before Labor Day , and it's an interesting kind of place to take a look at yourself , a vantage point . You know what's gone on in between , in the places where there are spaces , dare I say . You know what's changed , what's I say you know what's changed , what's something that is nostalgic , what's something that is a takeaway from this year . You know years don't always have to happen at new year . You know when the actual year is changing , because there's always time to look back from today , every day , and to glean any kind of information or gifts that have come from the past , or just to maybe sometimes celebrate what you've done or to acknowledge who's touched you in your life during this time . It's really a great exercise to reflect and it's easy to get locked into that kind of morose feeling , that feeling of ending when the seasons change . But I want you just to take a moment to really be in the moment with me , and I've chosen something from my book that I'm gonna share with you . That I think is kind of apropos for today .
Speaker 1But before we get into that , I invite you to take this time right now to think about a few things that really stand out to you from this past year . Specifically , think about something
that was hard , really hard . Go ahead and write it down , if you want , if that's helpful . Go ahead and write it down if you want , if that's helpful . And now I want you to think about something that was really easy , something that came very easily to you this year . Whatever that is , go ahead and think about that and jot it down . Ponder it for a moment . And now , what about something surprising ? What really surprised you this past year ? Something unexpected , something unexpected , something you learned . Now I want you to think about something really interesting , something that really piqued your interest this past year you didn't necessarily do anything about it , but what was really interesting to you this year ? And write those things down . Whatever comes up for you , what kind of made you go huh or got your curiosity going . And finally , what's something that you would consider to be amazing , something that just makes you go whoa , something that was just amazing this year . What would that be ? Notice how you're feeling when you revisit these things , these things that were hard , these things that were easy , surprising , interesting and amazing . These are all pieces and experiences that you've had over the years or over this past year , over the years or over this past year . And now I want you just to bring yourself to this moment and ask yourself what's something that's amazing about right now , what's something interesting about right now ? What's something surprising in your life right now ? Is there something that comes easy to you at this moment in your life ?
And finally , what's something that's really hard right now ? And I want you just to sort of sit with that for a minute , notice what you notice and then just forget about it . I'm going to share a little something with you now and , if you would like to reflect on it afterwards , I'll leave you with a prompt .
Speaker 1This is chapter 14 , that inescapable fall feeling . There's an inescapable feeling that fall brings . It elicits a physical response in the pit of my stomach and an impulse to both hide and explore at the same time . The angle of the sun or the rustle of a tree branch against the cold blue sky can trigger it
At once . Lonely and ominous and just as quickly , vibrant and full of opportunities to start something new . A beginning and an ending all at the same time , as children fall , brought that unique back-to-school feeling , a mix of fear and excitement for the new start of school and what possibilities lay ahead New clothes , fresh books and a schedule all planned out for us . Isn't it funny that , as adults , we have such a binary relationship with schedules . On the one hand , we resent them and on the other , we desperately crave them . As kids , our fall schedule was more like a lottery one that determined who our teacher would be and what kids were in our class . You never knew which teacher might change your life trajectory or if a classmate might become a lifelong friend . All we were required to do was show up . There are lessons we can learn from how we rolled .
Speaker 1When we were children , we weren't worried about the big picture future . Our parents and teachers did all that for us , and we were laser focused on navigating the immediate future . The next class , the next glance from a bully or a crush . Each moment had a heightened significance that felt like or a crush . Each moment had a heightened significance that felt like , well , it could be our last . We lived the highs and lows as they came , before we learned how to bottle them up inside or became trained to manage our emotions .
Speaker 1In many ways , we were truly living in the present and feeling all the feels that each moment of every day brought , unaware that we were doing it . We were choosing courage and vulnerability over fear of the unknown . We were masters of living in the moment . And so , as the long days of summer inevitably fade into the early fall sunset and that inescapable fall feeling comes over you , don your favorite boots and
sweater , breathe in the crisp fall air , linger in a bookstore and enjoy the fruits of the harvest . Let it be a reminder to slow down , embrace your inner child and live in the moment . It's an invitation , my friends , to let go of longing for the past and to schedule some time for yourself to not worry about the future . Today I'm Lisa Hopkins . Thanks so much for listening . Stay safe and healthy , everyone , and remember to live in the moment .