Ah… spring! Do you feel it in the air?
This time of year is among my favourites. Not only does nature absolutely explode with life, light and beauty, but people come out for their fix of sun, shed their jackets and layers and smile at each other.
There is so much we can learn from the seasons and their cyclical nature. Think about it: what is the purpose of spring in the context of the year?
3 things to do this spring
Spring cleaning comes to mind… the time between the death of winter and the aliveness of summer. Spring is the perfect time to let go of what we don’t need anymore, clean up and refocus energy towards what we intend for the coming summer months.
Thought of it another way: my husband and I started gardening last year, and had no idea what we were doing. This year, we’re slightly better schooled and know that spring is the time to:
- Weed the garden
- Choose which seeds we want to plant
- Plant & nurture those seeds into seedlings
Spring also comes with its own burst of energy, a coming alive after a long winter.
There’s a lot to celebrate and a walk in the forest or nearby park will expose you to an entire orchestra of birds chirping and nest-building! There’s a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. It’s no wonder in so many cultures, spring is considered a time of re-birth!
Spring as part of an annual cycle
Spring: sunlight, lightness, possibility, energy, life, aliveness, birth & rebirth
When we work with the cycles of the the year, the seasons, we naturally go through the cycles of life that our culture tends to avoid. Western culture puts a lot of emphasis on doing, productivity, and hitting milestones. But what about shedding, resting and refocusing? Each part of the cycle is important.
Your ‘summer harvest’ will be more plentiful if you weed the garden now, make room for what you want to grow! It’s not always about full speed ahead, sometimes it’s about deciding exactly what you don’t want and limiting the number of plates you’re spinning. This also makes the summer more fun!
Learning Finnish this spring or summer?
So tying this to learning Finnish…you might be surprised at what I have to say:
Is learning or improving your Finnish one of the seeds you want to plant?
If so, does it have room to grow in the garden?
Or is it one of those things that’s taking up space for something else to grow?
When you live abroad, it’s easy to keep ‘improving my Finnish language skills’ on your perpetual to-do list. But is this making you feel energized, excited and motivated or eating up energy (in the form of obligation, guilt and shame) that can be put to better use elsewhere?
Whether improving your Finnish this summer is part of your harvest or a weed to pull, the decision is up to you!
Just know that whatever you decide, decide it in the spring. Free up your energy for that which you need more of!
And if you decide to nurture the seeds to your Finnish this summer, and want some help making the most of it, start by taking the quiz…or don’t. But make a conscious, empowered decision to use that energy for something that’ll nourish you.
To an energizing spring, as part of a healthy, happy and complete year!
xx Irina
