PEBBLE
Life meanders like a path through the woods. We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again.
~Katherine May, shared by Kate in New Zealand
BOULDER
Sometimes we just have to cut off the dead branches in our life. Sometimes that’s the only way we can keep the tree alive. It’s hard and it hurts, but it’s what’s best.
~Nicole Williams, Lost & Found, shared by Pete in Colorado
PONDER
I’m wrapping up a mini-retreat where I spent time meditating and meandering amidst the glorious fall colors that were peaking in the secluded spot I visited. It was several days of astonishing beauty and gentle serenity. It was also a time of sadness.
This is the first autumn in over twenty years that didn’t find me zipping around the country to fire up incoming students as they transitioned to college life. I’ve stopped by hundreds of campuses at least once, and there have been a handful where my annual visits spanned decades: Plymouth State University, Central Michigan University, UNC-Asheville, and of course Cal Poly. Besides the treasure trove of memories (and selfies!), I’m deeply grateful to still be connected to so many of YOU, the many Ripplers who still hang out with me for 60 seconds every Monday and originally crossed paths with me as students, parents, and staff. How friggin’ cool is that? (Answer: quite cool, indeed.)
Before we start picking out balloon colors for my retirement party, let me assure you: I’m not done speaking yet, and I’m certainly not done Rippling! There are still quite a few talks on my calendar, and plenty of ripply shenanigans rattling around in my brain.
What *is* happening is that I’ve been mindfully constructing a gradual transition into the next season of my life. I’m pacing my schedule more carefully, carving out more room for meandering and pondering, and recognizing just how much I value having extra time and attention to spend on projects, people, and whatever else is asking to be noticed. And even though I’m grateful to still have oodles of energy when I show up at an event, it turns out I need quite a bit more time to recover than I did a few decades ago. #RestMatters
There is some grief in letting an old season fall away, even when the next one is arriving by choice. I suppose that’s part of what autumn keeps trying to teach us: flourishing and falling aren’t opposites so much as different parts of being alive.
Whether you’re a few years ahead of me in this whole retirement stuff, just getting started with your career/school/life, or somewhere in between, let’s take an extra beat to recognize and savor the seasons as they come and go. And whether you’re flourishing or falling these days, may you remember that flourishing and falling both have their time.
Peace,
Paul
P.S. Besides enjoying and forwarding these weekly splashes, there are two ways YOU can help keep these Ripples flowing. One is to watch this short video and think about who might benefit from bringing The Ripples Guy to an upcoming event. The other is to consider joining the Team Ripples Patreon Community, a few hundred kindred spirits who pitch in a few bucks each month to help keep Ripples free and ad-free for all.