As a child, I used to love spring because of its green leaves and the feeling of a new beginning. It was as if anything was possible. The fall was, on the contrary, a bit sad to me since the leaves were falling off the trees and it felt as if nature was slowly dying. As I have grown wiser and my interest in a healthy mindset has deepened, I have realized that we as humans have a lot to learn from nature.

Nature teaches us that nothing is permanent; everything is in a constant flow. Leaves appear on the trees in the spring and disappear from the trees in the fall. The Buddha once said: “Nothing is permanent, except change”. The only certain thing in life is change, and nature is illustrating this year after year. Leaves that fall to the ground in the fall is just a way — well, actually a prerequisite — for the leaves to grow on the same spot on the same branch in the spring.

In between the seasons, we have the winter, which is giving the tree the much-needed rest after a long and active year. Translated into our own life and the human mind, we can’t always be energized and “switched on”. It can’t be spring all the time! We need to rest and learn the habit of seeking recovery in order to save energy for when it’s needed. We need to learn to “switch off” in order to have the energy to be “switched on”. The “always-on” society we are living in is detrimental to our mental health. We have to learn to say No in order to say Yes to what truly matters to us.

Just like the branches let go of the leaves in the fall, we sometimes have to let go of things, habits, and people in our lives in order to welcome other things, habits, and people. “One in one out”. If we live a “one in ZERO out” kind of life by keep on adding without removing, we will exhaust ourselves. There will be no balance. Learning to let go of things, habits, and people that do no longer spark joy is a truly liberating feeling — and leaves room for the new and bright to take place. Say No in order to say Yes! And welcome the fall and winter now in order to eventually welcome the spring!