By Liz Townsend Bird, The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri, Women’s Network Chair
Do you ever think of your life as a season?
Fall has always been my favorite season. Yes – I’m one of “those” people. Counting the days for summer to end so I can enjoy crisp, cool days, pumpkin everything, dress in layers, watch the leaves change colors and then fall gracefully fall to the ground. Bonus, my birthday is in November!
A couple weeks ago I saw a quote on the Becoming Minimalist Facebook page that really spoke to me. “The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go.” ~Unknown
This got me thinking about my love for autumn. So, I Googled “season of life meaning” and found dozens of references. But one article caught my attention – How to Thrive During the Four Seasons of Life by Connie Mathers (May 2020).
Mathers writes about the seasons of life as we transition and how our mindsets change. “From birth to your mid-twenties, you’re in the spring of your life, where you’re being nourished by education and formative experiences. Summer is a time in your life for rewards, celebration, and purpose. Winter is a season of rest. It is a time to think of all the hard work you accomplished throughout your life.”
As for Autumn, this is “a season for survival and handling problems and dealing with past mistakes. It sums up the past times in your life where you failed to sustain the required momentum to achieve your goals.”
Whoa! What is my favorite season telling me? I made mistakes? I didn’t achieve goals? That I limited myself with a sense of self-doubt? You got that right!
Then I kept reading. “During the fall of your life, you will likely engage in some reflection to help you determine what you want to achieve in the coming years. You’ll have the self-confidence that you need to live in your own skin and not worry about what other people think.”
Whew! At 51 (closing in on 52), I think I’m finally figuring out that I do possess the self-confidence I need to live my life on my terms and stop worrying about what others think of me. Like a tree, losing its leaves and letting things go…
Speaking of self-confidence, I am excited to welcome Dr. Susan Harrison to our monthly professional development luncheon on September 15. Dr. Harrison will be talking to us about turning our self-doubt into self-confidence. I hope you all are registered for what it sure to be the perfect topic to cover for all of us as we enter the season of Autumn.
Happy Networking!
Liz Townsend Bird
Women’s Network Chair, 2022-23
Director of Development
The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri
#RiseandLift