SUNSHINE AURA – self-esteem. self-love. self-actualization. 

It’s wild to think we have already arrived at the last week of August. The summer is still raging hot, but we know fall is just around the corner. With the changing of the seasons nearly here, I continually am feeling this energy of transformation and growth gnawing at me. It’s a time when we go back to school, we settle back into our role at work, and we tuck in a bit more at home with the incoming coolness. In summer, it feels easier to tackle our goals and to get out into the world. The fiery passion of the sun warms our backs and the longer days make us feel invincible to the limitations of time. In the cooler months, it can be tougher to try new things and surrender to our intuition. We desire to stay comfortable, to settle in for cozy season, and to push off any major change for next year. And yet, we notice the change in season nudging us, tugging at our long sleeves, urging us to change along with the rotation of the earth.

Fall is a time when the earth begins to change colors. Leaves glow brilliantly in red, oranges, and yellows, burning out at their brightest just before they fall from the trees to the ground. The animals prepare for the winter ahead, always looking to find and hoard away the things they might need. The air gets cooler and the nights get longer, little by little each day. It’s easy to see this time as a symbolic “dying” of the earth. But, we can look at it from a positive lens. We can choose to see this as a time to let the things in our lives “die” that no longer serve us. This may look like walking away from relationships that no longer fulfill us, changing jobs to a new role within our field or to another field entirely, dropping classes we don’t really enjoy taking, or saying goodbye to thought patterns that keep us playing small.

Identity is everything to us human beings. We base our habits upon who we think we are. And who we think we are, ironically, is formed by the habits we continue to act on. Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I couldn’t do that,” when you are asked to try something new? Or thinking to yourself, “maybe that will be me someday,” when you see someone else living in a way you admire and aspire to be, while believing deep down you are not capable? We can trick ourselves into believing the person we’ve known ourselves to be forever is the only person we could ever be. We don’t believe ourselves capable of evolving, despite the fact that years have gone by and everything around us is different. If I have always been single, then I must always be single. If I have always gotten bad grades, then I will always do poorly in school. If I always get picked over for promotions, then I will only ever attain the current level I am at in my career. Or a belief I’ve always had: I’ve never been good at math, therefore, I am unable to do math. These limiting beliefs are just that: beliefs. They are not the truth. And I would bet you know what it feels like when the urge to go a different way bubbles up, and you quash it back down, telling yourself that will never be you.

You know yourself better than anybody else in the world. Thus, I challenge you to notice when your inner voice nudges you to try something new, or to think in a new way. See how you react when this happens: notice the emotions that come up, and any mental resistance or acceptance that results. I challenge you to listen to that nudge and go for it (obviously within reason and in situations that are safe). Even if you feel resistance rise in your throat, if you know a new path is opening up for you that could lead to a new way of being and growth, just take it. Be brave enough to outgrow yourself. Be brave enough to evolve and allow change to happen, just like the seasons. Trust that you, too, will go through cycles of symbolic death and rebirth many times in your life, and that each time you cycle through, you’ll come out on the other side wiser, happier, and more in alignment with the best version of yourself. Allow yourself to accept your identity can change over time. Practice new habits when you need to, and get out of your own way. You may be surprised by how enriching and exhilarating life can be when you outgrow yourself.

Here are some journal prompts for the week to help get you started:

(1) What areas of my life need the most attention right now?

(2) Where am I limiting my growth? How am I limiting my growth?

(3) What is one thing I can say “yes” or “no” to, that will be in alignment with the person I am striving to become?

(4) What are some habits I act on daily that are no longer in alignment with who I am striving to become? Can I transform or let go of these habits?

(5) What feelings come up for me when I imagine outgrowing my past self? Fear? Excitement? Uncertainty?

Remember: you know yourself better than anybody else in the whole world. Be honest in evaluating your life at this current stage, and give yourself grace if you find any shortcomings. Be brave enough to outgrow yourself. Have a great week!

With love,

Kayla