Did somebody flick the switch?
Something seems to have totally changed. The world has brightened up!
As I chatted with a friend on the weekend, we agreed that November is the most depressing month of the year in these parts, the weather being a big contributing culprit. Do you feel that way, too?
November’s ended. As I look out of the window this morning, the sky is virtually clear. But, hey, I shouldn’t be so deluded as to think the weather gods follow the turn of the calendar; I know there will be a lot of grey and wet this month, too. Plus, it’s not really fair to blame the weather for our state of minds.
I think there’s a lot more to this flick of the switch (if, indeed it is that for you, too—if not, indulge me while I reflect on my personal outlook).
December is the month of Christmas. For me, that is the happiest time of year. The serious build-up to the big day typically starts the last weekend of November with the massive Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. Then, about Dec. 1, Christmas lights get turned on, street decorations are up, the festivals begin! The signs of Christmas are everywhere. It’s a long, slow, but focussed build-up to the magic day.
So December is a month of looking forward, a month of optimism, a month of celebration. It’s a month of recharging.
November, on the other hand, was the tail end from the last recharge that has nearly petered out. For me, there are two great recharges each year: Christmas and “summer sun,” six months apart. But before the “summer sun” recharging, there has been a slow build-up right from about March already, some of it likely attributable to the lengthening daylight. So the month before the “summer sun” isn’t so blah! Before the December recharging, on the other hand, there has been nothing but decline. November marks the nadir of that decline. Blah!
But is it fair to simply accept the cyclical nature of our lives based on the ebb and flow of the seasons? I think not! I think we all have some capacity within ourselves to shape our days, weeks and months into what we want them to be, not simply surrender to some mysterious fate. We can relegate such influences as the weather to some small corner of our existence, not allow them to take control.
If we want to be successful in life, surely we must take charge ourselves of the influences that will contribute to that success.
It just takes a little more effort at some times than others.
At least, that’s how I see it. . . .
Quote of the Week
They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. – Andy Warhol
