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What Season Are You In?

As summer sets, I’ve been reflecting on seasons. Just yesterday, my daily meditation teacher shared the reflection below by Wu Men Hui K’ai related to seasons.

What season is your life in? Your career? Your learning? Your family life?  Your volunteering? Your retirement? Are you in the new beginnings of spring whether actually in early stages of choosing or doing something or maybe planting seeds for the future?  Perhaps you may be in the bloom of summer experiencing the fullness of something whether good or bad, soaking in what is like we soak up the sunshine.  An autumn stage may symbolize harvest for your efforts, a sense of reward and completion after which may follow some letting go.  Perhaps you are in a winter stage of dormancy, reflection, maybe darkness, wondering what might bloom again. These are natural seasons of life, of careers, of individual experiences.

This year I’ve been in mostly an autumn season of letting go, most recently passing on the torch of my neighborhood blockwatch that I created and facilitated for twenty years. Recently I received an insight message that I’m beginning a new chapter. Related to that I’m also in that winter phase of reflection.  Retirement is also a bit on my mind, though I think it will be a gradual process that will include new springtime beginnings.

The end of summer also reminds me of the school season of new beginnings.  After enjoying the summer, September is often the time to gear up and start new endeavors.  September also hosts Labor Day, a symbolic end of summer and reminder of work.  If you or someone you know has been thinking about new beginnings in education or work, I would be happy to help them explore a new season.

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What Musical Instrument Are You?

Sassy sax? Deliberate drum? Happy Harp? When I asked Spirit for my affirmation of the day at a group retreat vacation recently, I heard a lovely, lilting bird chirp.  Next was a staccato bird call…that one sounds more like me, I thought.  The affirmation that came to me was “I enjoy life’s symphony.”

We all have our unique gifts, personalities and quirks. Understanding ourselves helps us make better career decisions, negotiate life, and get along with each other. The symphony vision continued to unfold.  If I’m the staccato sounding bird, then maybe I’m the drum in the symphony.  Then my self-awareness kicked in, and I knew that was too much of a background role for me. The drum should be my patient, big-hearted friend, mirroring a steady heartbeat connecting the group. Though I sometimes have a love-hate relationship with leading, I next saw myself as the lead, playing the sax, in a bit of limelight.  The instrument vision for each dear friend popped into my mind, and I had a good time sharing the scene. The six of us made quite a unique symphony.

What personality traits are natural to you?  Are you honoring them in your job, retirement, or other activities?  Are you aware of the shadow side of your gifts? I think I love career counseling so much since I get to help people understand themselves better, as well as make education and career choices that they are happier with. Personality and strengths/gifts are two of the core areas of self-awareness in career counseling along with interests and values.  I’d be happy to help you or someone you care about find their seat in life’s career symphony.

Sidebar: I figured there must be a quiz and indeed there are many if you search on “What musical instrument personality are you?”  Some are about actually choosing an instrument and some more psychological in nature. Unfortunately, the first one I tried made me take two advertising surveys, and I never could finish it. Let me know if you find one you like!

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Monastery Musings: Direction

If you missed the May Monastery blog about DREAMS, click HERE.

I recently made an interesting connection between my clients putting off getting professional assistance and my own recognizing that it could be helpful.

In my last blog newsletter, I shared that I am a prolific nighttime dreamer.  The first night at my Erie hermitage retreat, I recorded five of them and a record 17 pages in my dollar store fat book. The first four were unsettling, so I requested a positive, meaningful one. Dream #5: When I couldn’t get to the library from where I was despite seeing the escalator to it, someone gave me confusing directions, then walked me there; we went to another building, diagonally across sand to a hidden stairway below-ground entrance. 

I woke up with the thought ‘I would have never found that on my own!”

So, I decided I would inquire about the spiritual direction resource available through the monastery. How odd I’ve not done that before.

My career counseling clients often come in with stacks of questionable quizzes, lists of books they read, and stories of the Internet rabbit hole. Their minds are still swirling, and no decisions made. 

I often say we’re not born knowing how to make good career decisions, just like we’re not born knowing how to make good financial decisions. We can educate ourselves, but sometimes an outside professional perspective can help.

So this career counselor will take her own advice and that of her dream messages.  In terms of career direction, THAT I can help with. I could do it in my sleep…but won’t.