Almost the end of September. The Autumn Equinox. A Full Harvest Moon. A slight nip in the air. The earth is in balance, and it's the perfect moment to look back and look forward.
Around here, the winter wardrobe is coming out, boxes of bulbs are waiting on the kitchen floor (last year's bulbs made it as far as the shed, only to be unearthed in January, so this year there are NO excuses), and any spare minute is spent putting the garden to rights for next year. There's a fine crop of quince to harvest, even if the apples were poor.
Harvest is one of my favourite festivals. At next week's Harvest Supper we'll share food, fun and news with friends we haven't seen for a while. It's a time to be thankful and to connect before moving indoors for the darker months.
Those months have their own gifts. The pace slows, the energy flows inwards, and it's a natural time to learn from the year's experience and clear away the excess so a clear path for the future can reveal itself.
It's also a season when many of us feel the pressure. Students settling into a new term. Teachers back in the swing of the classroom. Anyone carrying grief or adjusting to a big change as the nights draw in.
In solution-focused coaching, we don't dwell on the problem. We look at what's already working, what a good outcome looks like, and the small, practical steps to get there. Sometimes just one conversation is enough to shift perspective, and often those conversations happen best on a walk in the fresh air.
So, as the season turns, you might ask yourself:
🍂 What have I grown this year, and what deserves more attention?
🍂 What can I clear away to make space?
🍂 What small step could I sow now, ready for spring?
Staring up at the moon last night was the perfect time for reflection and looking back as well as dreaming and looking forward.
If you or someone you know could use a steady, strengths-based space to reflect and move forward, I offer sessions in and around Bath and Bradford on Avon, or by video and phone. Book a free discovery call.