Whether it’s a business or personal relationship, a job or a gym membership you never use, there is much to be said for letting go of what no longer works for you. As well as being a liberating and empowering experience, it creates a space for new prospects and possibilities.
Up until a few years ago, I never really appreciated Autumn. The red and orange leaves, the colder days and the darker nights are a far cry from the long hazy days of the summer holidays, impromptu trips to the beach and endless picnics.
But nothing lasts forever, and Autumn’s great lesson is that letting go is an important part of our life cycle and in doing so, we encourage new growth.
I learned this lesson for myself 6 years ago to the day. It was the day I moved into my own house with my daughter and left behind the people and places who had made me so unhappy for so long. A fresh start to rebuild the life we wanted for us.
Unlike the natural world’s annual cycle of renewal, we as humans don’t get many opportunities in life to start over again and nor do we seek them out. We are creatures of habit and change is not in our nature, so we cling to the status quo for dear life even when its mentally, emotionally and even financially draining.
As a PR and communications consultant and copywriter, I often follow other professionals into roles and I inevitably bring fresh ideas to the table – as the outgoing incumbent did before me. Change is a good thing, and if done with honesty and integrity, it gives the client a new outlook on their PR and communications programme and it gives the consultant the chance to work with someone new to refresh their own skill set.
Rather than making a new year’s resolution, perhaps we should be making an Autumn resolution to let go of whatever is cluttering our lives or making us unhappy. Nature abhors a vacuum, so something will soon fill the space you’ve created – a new coat, a new job, a new friend, a new love, or even a new PR and communications consultant, the possibilities are limitless.
Autumn and the joy of letting go
