“Every change of season brings new opportunities.”
–Phil Symchych
It’s with mixed emotions that we say goodbye to summer and hello to fall. With new seasons, however, come new opportunities. We just need to get the old stuff out of the way so we can see what else is out there.
The kayaks definitely look out of place on a sea of leaves.
As we pack up our cottage and store our kayaks, I’m looking forward to earlier dark skies for astronomy and the colorful displays of foliage for photography.
After we turned off the water to the cottage, I got a new appreciation for running water and indoor plumbing. It turns out we take a lot for granted.
“What can you do now that you could not do three or six months ago?”
–Phil Symchych
Asking ourselves this question gives us more control over our time and our environment. This is especially important as we continue with Covid and roll along, willingly or not, into winter.
Are we powerless over our circumstances, which is a sign of victim mentality, or are we exerting our power and choices? The latter will definitely help our mental health and improve the quality of our lives.
In our house, we have two health care workers. We are very protective of our activities to minimize risks and exposure. We always wear masks when out in stores or public and restrict our activities to our local social or work bubbles. That, and lots of hand washing and surface cleaning will keep us safe.
That being said, I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. It’s time spent walking the dog, exercising, getting fresh air, and slowing down to think. I’m not listening to music or books on audible (which is a great way to read, these days). I’m slowing down and watching the automatic pace nature has on our world despite the media’s best efforts to get us to focus on the negatives, and realizing that our galaxy is a very small place in the grand scheme of time and space.
Technology, on the other hand, makes time go by too fast. Our “smart” devices (more brilliant marketing) and constant access to news, games, friends, and social (is it really social?) media are scientifically programmed to addict us to their dopamine hits.
I prefer my dopamine from exercise, making progress on important goals, time with family, and enjoying nature. What are your best dopamine triggers?
“What can you do, today, for fifteen minutes, that will make your world a better place?”
–Phil Symchych
Full speed ahead!
Thanks for reading.
