How to Unlock Gigantic Gifts in What Makes You Sad

Let’s face it. Life gives us an abundance of wonderful, which gets served along with the not so wonderful. Intrinsically I understand that if things were only good, without any challenges, we wouldn’t fully grasp gratitude. It’s in the diversity of experiences and feelings that we appreciate what it means to be human.

Recognizing this doesn’t make it any easier to handle loss, sadness, grief, and struggle. Our challenges add necessary layers to life that provide possibilities for growth and perspective shifts.

Each autumn when the leaves whither and drop to the ground, I feel sad and a sense of loss. These feelings intensify as the trees become bare and the landscape colorless. The part of fall I love most is when the foliage is showered in vibrant reds, oranges and yellows.

Recently, I mentioned this feeling of “fall sadness” to one of my friends. Instead of her agreeing with me, figuring that we shared this sentiment, she expressed that fall was one of her favorite times. She loved seeing the empty trees. The simplicity let her distinguish the branch and tree trunk shapes, patterns, and negative spaces formed against the sky.

What a gift she offered me! Her observations made me consider fall differently. Maybe the emptiness will help me see past the colorful distractions so I can more easily examine structures and foundations that need to be repaired.

While I’ll always prefer bursts of color to neutral palettes, I’m curious to try this new perspective. The absence of color and adornment will be my cue for securing foundations. With an unobstructed view, I can adjust the basics and prepare for growth.

What's possible for you? What ways help you approach transitions? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.