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SPRING HAS
SPRUNG!
WHAT'S SPROUTING IN YOUR
LIFE?
by
Terrence Daryl Shulman, JD,LMSW,ACSW,CAC,CPC
Wherever
you live--even if the season's change lacks
drama--Spring is traditionally a time of rebirth
and renewal. The coming holidays of Passover and
Easter also set the table for these themse. After
a long (and often cold and dark) Winter, we have
an opportunity to bloom again. Take a moment
to reflect back on your Winter. Did you hibernate
or rest? Did you go within to heal or soul-search?
And as for Spring: what's sprouting in your
life?
I'm
talking more than about New Year's resolutions (if
you even made any). I'm talking about opening up
our windows (to our homes and to our souls) and
letting some fresh air in! I'm talking about
cleaning out our closets (literally and
figuretively). My wife and I just completed
several days of Spring cleaning of our home,
donated a bunch of stuff to charity, and changed
our front storm door to a screen door. It
felt--and feels--really good!
I
know when I have a more clean, less cluttered
environment I feel lighter, more organized, more
uplifted. I strongly encourage anyone struggling
with depression or a lack of energy or motivation
to do one's best to do even a little cleaning or
organizing project. Gardening or yardwork is great
for the soul, too. Getting one's hands in some
dirt, nurturing life, trimming the hedges so to
speak, can be very grounding. And fresh air and
exercise can only help us get
energized.
So
what's sprouting in your life? New work? New
health? New relationships? Deeper recovery? New
projects, hobbies, endeavors? What's budding
inside of you, aching to heal, aching to grow,
aching to expand? Name it and claim it!
For
me, this Winter was fruitful in that I got found
revealed new and more disturbing depths of anger
and rage in my heart. I did some more healing work
around this. I also broke through my difficulty in
losing weight and developing a consistent exercise
routine. Since January 1st I've lost 12 pounds,
have been exercising at my local health club
nearly daily, and have moderated what I eat, how
often I eat, and the portions of what I eat. I
also received assistance from a personal trainer
for the first month of my exercise regimen and
have benefitted from immersing myself in the study
of "The Secret" (the DVD, CDs, and book on "the
law of attraction").
I'm
excited about my impending trip to Los Angeles to
visit my younger brother and to scope out
locations for our Fall conference and I'm excited
about my growing knowlege of shopping and spending
disorders and my ability to assist others in
understanding and overcoming them. I'm excited and
nervous about the possibility of having children
in my life--my stepsister's illness may lead to my
wife and I helping her raise two of her kids. I'm
excited about helping to co-create and
co-facilitate a men's retreat weekend in early
October.
Yes,
Spring is in the air. Can you feel it?
What's sprouting in your life? What seeds have you
planted--intentionally or unconsciously--that need
tending to? Take some time to embrace life as it
is and as it can be. The birds don't sing because
they have to--they sing because they have a song.
What's your song? If you don't know. Find someone
who can help you discover it. And, again, start
with some simple movement and some cleaning and
gardening!
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