Springtime — the start of something

Spring is a great time of year for new beginnings. So much more so than the start of the calendar year, I think. New Year with its traditional guilt trip of resolution-making and self-improvement seems serious; springtime by contrast feels fun and optimistic. Turning over a new leaf in various ways (no pun intended) simply feels natural at this time of year with none of the false hope and strained expectations that I feel at new year. There’s a vibrancy in nature now that coaxes more energy from me and ignites my spirit. At least until the Easter bunny made an appearance… 🙂

I’m not suggesting that I’m busy making ‘spring resolutions’. I’m just committing more to life and living and to not holding back so much waiting for ….what? I don’t know what this really means yet — I’m just trying to be more open to stuff and see what evolves.

The difference between evolution (changes that happen naturally) and resolutions (change we must actively commit to for anything different to happen) struck me recently thinking about how different my diet is now. I’m just following what I feel like eating (with a bit of advice from a dietician about good nutrition) which has made my diet unrecognisable from a year ago. It’s evolving in line with what I’m ready for. No particular effort required, other than the subtle, honest attention required to understand what my body needs — and this in itself is hard enough for me!

I’ve overheard some bits of conversation around the yoga studio this past week that suggest a couple of people are struggling with being (more) vegetarian. Much discussion about hamburger cravings and about which sweets are gelatin-free. I guess they are being more conscious and more ethical about their choices than I am. They are actively making changes that they believe are right in a broader context. This kind of change is difficult, requiring willpower and a constant assertion of intellectual reasoning over one’s biological constitution or habits of a lifetime.

I haven’t experienced any of this challenge since my dietary changes all start with me. Maybe this makes me ethically deficient and ego-centred. But they won’t end with me, perhaps. Starting is just the beginning. I’m not pushing it: evolution is radical enough for me.