Mental Midwinter
HOW AND WHY YOU MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING MENTAL MIDWINTER
Nature softly guides us through a moral lesson that has a lot to teach us about how we should respond to some of the more dispiriting and despair-inducing periods in our own growth and development. In the northern hemisphere, the temperature begins to drop in mid-October. The evenings become longer, the soil becomes cold and hard, fog hangs low over the land, and rain lashes the desolate, lethargic grey-brown landscape with ferocity. There is nothing we can do to change the situation right now; all we can do is wait, with resigned patience, for something better to come along in the future.
Our thoughts, too, have cycles, far more than we are often willing to acknowledge. We can't expect to be fruitful or creative, excited or open on a consistent basis. There are times when retrenchment is inevitable, and no matter how much we wish otherwise, there appears to be no choice but to halt. We are no longer able to be creative; we have lost our sense of direction and motivation. We are immovably numb and sterile in our indifference.
It's easy to become concerned: what could have caused such a paralyzed and distant state of mind to settle upon our formerly vibrant minds? Where have all of our plans and expectations vanished to? What happened to our former feelings of joy and ecstasy?
We should look to the late November countryside for reassurance during such moments. Things are, without a doubt, lifeless, frigid, and in suspension. However, this is not the end of the story; the planet is like this not as a final destination, but rather as a transitional stage in a journey. The period of dormancy heralds the arrival of new life, while the fallow period heralds the arrival of fertile days to come. All living organisms require rest and recharging; old leaves must be discarded and tired limbs must be allowed to rest. The dance and ferment were unable to continue. It may appear as if nothing is occurring at all, as if you are in a state of trance with no apparent goal. Deep beneath the earth's surface, nutrients are being gathered, the framework for future ebullience and dynamism is being set, and the energy for another summer is steadily building up in preparation for another summer.
Nature is trying to inform us that we can't stay in bloom for an indefinite period of time. We require periods of relaxation and consternation. There is absolutely nothing to be afraid about. Things will reappear in their original form. In order to be at peace with our own midwinter, we must rely on nature's thoughtful accommodations to help us in our pursuit of tranquility and patience.