I breathe in the cold, sharp and clean. The snow that was moldable yesterday for snowballs is now packed and frozen, crunching under my feet. I will not be out here long today, but I am taking this moment for myself. I will visit the places I connect with, gather the energy that my body and soul require and feel all the better for it. I will connect with the things that make me feel alive and give me joy. I will give this gift to myself even though it is below zero outside today. The cold on my face is nothing compared to the feelings of disconnection that I feel when I am not taking care of these parts of myself and to be honest when I get going the cold is welcomed.
Sometimes staying in a comfort zone, becomes so restrictive and sometimes even painful, that you have no choice but to move forward. Sometimes, I find that I am telling myself that I am taking care of myself when all I am really doing is staying in my comfort zone. My comfort zone, despite the word comfort being in it, is usually limiting, keeps me stagnant, not moving forward, not healing, and definitely not bringing love and joy into my life.
This is part of the hard work that is healing, this realization, to stand up to that fear of change and try something new, to see things from different perspectives.
Not so long ago my outlook upon winter was to tolerate it and spring would be here any second. Then one year, it snowed and snowed and snowed…and we ran out of room to put the snow…winter was nearly a half a year long. I could not let a half a year of just tolerating nature happen. Nature is what energizes me and grounds me. Just tolerating nature was not going to work.
So, I sat with myself for a while wondering how I was going to fall in love with winter. How was I going to connect with the earth during this season? Some of the answers came from my farm, as it grew I had more chores to do outside. Here I learned that bundling up and movement keeps you warm. As I spent more time outside I began to pause and see the beauty around me. The sun, snow and water play in the most glorious light show together. I began to catch these beautiful moments on camera to share. Then I started exploring. Snowshoeing and hiking take me through so many more breathtaking winter scenes, and I get to witness the wildlife and their interactions with the world and each other.
I really feel that changing the way I thought and challenging myself to see life and beauty in this world during winter, allowed me to do so. To let myself be open to a new perspective, and to have it all laid out in front of me because I was willing to see it. I am so grateful I allowed for this change to happen. I now see more beauty, feel more love, have more energy and my heart is joyous. I make Snow Angels for God to see every chance I get!
So, what part of your “comfort zone” is no longer comfortable. How can you challenge your perception and find what your soul needs here in this world?
I send love and hope that you find your Snow Angels to share.
All My Best,
Dr. Nicole
