I uttered two words yesterday that startled me as they came out of my mouth.

“Bundle up.”

The temperatures have dropped enough that I needed to suggest an extra layer on an afternoon walk.

Sure, that layer was only a light sweatshirt. And it’s still sunny and bright and beautiful. (Which is infinitely better than the conditions for all those devastated by the series of storms and fires in the US and neighboring countries.)

But still…

It felt like the end of something. And the beginning of something new.

Back-to-school is in full swing. The more fluid schedules of summer are gone. It’s life as I think of it – regular, normal, contained, full.

The change appears around me – flip-flops have been replaced by fuzzy slippers – and within me, in the hours and tasks of my day, and the mindset I hold.

The summer was bursting with creative projects:

• Finishing one book (now available for pre-order on Amazon!)
• Getting the other two in the series queued up for release later this year.
• Several other small and large writing projects.
• Expanding my writing community.

The fall is about business:

• Immersing myself in the wide, and vastly different world of publishing.
• Starting a mindfulness program at one of the most prominent companies in my area. [** Would you like to bring mindfulness/meditation into your workplace? I’ve seen it work miracles. Let’s talk. **]
• New clients, new classes, new outreach

The same. And different.

Here’s why it matters:

Everything’s always changing. You, the world, everything. It’s as if both the palette and the paints are in continual flux.

This gives you lots to play with. Will you be the constant, or will you be the variable?

Both of these positions (and everything in between) are glorious. But only in their impermanence. Holding on so strongly to any particular way of being is like trying to only inhale. Doomed.

The world outside is gifting us with the reminder to re-evaluate who we want to be in the very next moment, even if that only includes a different choice of footwear. It’s a great opportunity to get just a little bit lighter on your feet, and maybe even take a step in a different direction.

Will you notice the chill in the air and put on a sweater, or will you relish the briskness on your skin? Either way, will you invite in the wonder and delight?

Because that’s my favorite part of the fall. Enjoying the heck out of it.