For me, this is the month of exciting anticipation. Summer is over, we have rested and warmed our bodies - some fried, baked or toasted even, and the freshness of Autumn is lifting our spirits. Often there is still sun, using up the remains of its warmth before settling down for the colder months of the year in the UK. I will always miss the sunshine, but for me, and perhaps many us, September is a fresh start. Children go back to school or university and routines are re-established. New books, new uniforms, new weekday suppers and maybe a few new items of clothing for the new season (if we need to replace anything). For me, September really feels like a New Year, much more so than January when we are still full of baubles and John Lewis adverts, and New Year feels like an anti-climax, an end to all the fun.
Whilst in summer, I have more motivation to rest and play, in autumn and winter, I want to keep moving and be productive. This is the time when I am more inclined to make new year's resolutions. This is the time when I feel motivated to make fresh starts or realise ideas that have been rattling around in my head. The new term at school has started today and I feel ready to tackle unfinished projects, start new ones, get back into yoga and generally kick ass.
It has been a busy and trying year for me. Despite my advice to everyone else, I have not been taking as much care of myself as I should have been; basically, I have been the pot to your kettle. With the onset of menopause, I have noticed that not all of my previous behaviours work for me anymore. Changes in my body have been noticeable and I have been at war with the 'why bother?' attitude. Why not wait for winter with its cosy chill, and sit by the fire with a mug of the mulled stuff and read a good book? You are all with me aren't you? I can hear you scuttling away to log on to 'Just Eat' and fiddling with the Netflix controls. Why not have it all? We have the gift of experience, the capacity to grow and the wisdom that comes from making many mistakes. I want to eat well, have fun, exercise, travel and look after myself ….. then, sit down with a good book and glass of wine, by a crackling fire.
"You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be"
Marianne Williamson
With the onset of this new year, I am ready to thank my body and thank it for going through the processes it needs to go through. It has progressed from childhood, navigated its way around adolescence (albeit the long way around ha ha) and blundered through the maze of young adulthood with all of its expectations and disappointments. I can make this stage easier by gratefully acknowledging the changes that turning fifty brings, making appropriate adjustments and adopting new strategies. Who knows what exciting new things I will learn along the way and what amazing people I have yet to meet?
Happy New Year everyone! I hope September is an awesome month for you and that it is choc full of promise and excitement!
Send me your comments by clicking on 'comments' and then writing in the box. I would love to hear your experiences and when you feel the year starts.