Recently I was reminded of the beauty of nature, and not just the physical, visual aspect, but more so the lessons that it can teach us.

Allow me to share with you some of the thoughts I had during that conversation.

Although I consider myself the explorer-type, and it’s not so challenging for me to “get out and go”, there is something about change that still frightens me. Maybe it’s not knowing what exactly is on the other side of the decisions that spark change – no one can tell the future after all.  Or maybe a part of me questions my gut, or if the thing I’m pursuing is really what’s best.

Change can be scary for different reasons, there’s no doubt about it.  But we only have to look at nature and the seasons to see that actually, change is a natural part of life.  For example, one moment the environment could be cold, dark, and barren, and the next it could be warm as colors begin to appear and life becomes more active.  Nature is incredible.

There are seasons and processes that must take place, but it all seems to be a part of a much bigger story. Although this concept is very broad, I think it can trickle down into our own lives as well.

Staying on the topic of seasons, I find flowers in the Springtime particularly interesting.  Japan is known for Sakura, and in my native Texas, Blue Bonnets are the symbol of the season.  Regardless of their species, all flowers are the same in that there were once seeds, then pods, then blossoms.

This process of growing to their potential I’m sure took a lot of effort and may have even been challenging at times. However, the flowers stayed committed to change and they didn’t shy away from it. Because of this, we get to see them brighten up sceneries and our lives a bit after the cold winter.

So, why not allow nature to be a simple reminder that change or beginning again is a natural part of life?  And just like the Sakura and Blue Bonnet, I hope we all can use different seasons to bloom to our highest potentials.