Week #262 – Welcome Fall! (Celebrate the first days of Autumn!)

(This topic is an annual favorite — and well worth repeating yet again!)

Greetings All — and Happy Friday!

The Autumnal Equinox will occur at 3:50am ET this Monday, September 23rd.  It’s the exact moment when the sun shines equally on both sides of the Equator.  The word itself means “equal night” — as these days are marked by equal parts sunlight and darkness.

And for a moment — perfect balance.

I know for many of you, the “end” of Summer is a sad time: light fades, the air cools, summer flowers surrender.

For others, the “beginning” of Fall is a celebration: work/school routines are back in place, trees start to show their colors, football, sweaters, boots, and pumpkin-everything is back!  🙂

Whether you’re on Team Summer or Team Fall — I hope you squeezed all you could out of the Summer of 2019.  But if not, don’t despair.  Another 13-week season starts today!  A new beginning, a new quarter, and for many a new year ahead!

The Autumnal Equinox gives us the perfect opportunity to step back, take stock, re-balance — and to finish the year strong!

Your Happyness Challenge for the Week Ahead: WELCOME FALL!  Welcome this season of harvest, storage, and preparation by turning inward: take stock in yourself, make room for only what’s necessary, and set a goal or direction for the next three months of your life.  The Winter Solstice is exactly thirteen weeks away!  Don’t wait until December to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions and goals…START NOW!  Use the Fall Season as a runway into 2020.  The next thirteen weeks are going to pass one way or another…how do you want to spend this season?!

Some ideas:

1. DECORATE — this is the easiest way to mark the change of seasons.  Don’t wait for the leaves to turn or for Halloween decorations to appear…get out your scarecrows and pumpkins now and give yourself a visual cue that a new season has arrived.  WELCOME IT!
2. CLEAN — there is a lot of talk of “Spring” cleaning at the Vernal Equinox — but Fall has it’s own cleaning and decluttering rituals too.  As we turn our focus inward to our homes — it makes sense that we would declutter and clean in preparation for the indoor months ahead.  Use this time to get rid of things you no longer need — and make room for the things that will sustain and nurture you through the dark and cold of winter.  MAKE ROOM FOR IT!
3. SET NEW GOALS — Just like cleaning and decluttering makes room in our homes, cleaning and decluttering of the mind makes room in our psyche.  Every thirteen weeks we are given the opportunity to start a “new season.”  Start this Fall with a little quiet time to consider what you’d like to accomplish by the END of this year, what obligations or habits you need to shed to make that possible, and what new resources you may need to help you get there!  DREAM ABOUT IT!
4. PLAN FALL FUN — NOW is the time to look at your fall calendar (October/November/December) and plot some time for the activities you like best.  Harvest festivals, ghost tours, apple picking, that one last Indian Summer day at the shore…think about the things that bring you joy this time of year and plan them out ahead of time!  PLAN IT!
5. START TALKING ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS NOW — This one is a little controversial because nobody likes to be rushed into the holidays…but waiting until November 29th to start talking about who is spending which holiday where is too late!  And I don’t know about you but I like to enjoy Thanksgiving Weekend for what it is (a very rare 4-day holiday weekend) — not some violent launch into what is supposed to be such a peaceful/magical season!  GET OUT AHEAD OF IT!

At the very least — set aside time this weekend to think about what you need to feel happy in the 13 weeks ahead.

Remember — it takes a happy person to Spread Happyness!

Spread Happyness — share your favorite Autumn rituals and activities in the comments!

9/20/19 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com