Spring – The season of growth

Spring is upon us today, and the signs of growth and rebirth are everywhere you look. There are new buds on the trees, baby birds chirping at dawn, and perhaps a desire somewhere deep inside you that is motivating you to make some changes that you have been considering for some time. We have many of the same physical cycles as the other mammals, and as the weather warms up, some of us come out of a kind of emotional hibernation and look for new opportunities in life. Most people have the need to expand their horizons, and spring seems to be a time when there is more energy in the air to try new things and make our lives better.

Students start new classes, outdoor activities begin for many, and there is a sense of freshness that comes with the start of a new season. If you can use this energy to propel yourself and your life forward, it will allow you to feel good about who you are and what you are doing, and you will enjoy yourself more.

Doing new things can be scary for a lot of people. They find excuses to avoid taking the extra steps necessary to make their lives a lovely place to be. And for some, it is easy to settle for less than what they are capable of doing. If this feels to you like a safe way to live, take a minute to look at how much you are missing out on by letting the world pass you by.

Look, you can’t hide from life. The best you can do if you want that to happen is to do as little for yourself and others as possible. Keeping your world very small can be helpful for those with disabilities, but if you are not challenged physically or emotionally, somewhere inside you lurks a need to feel good about being and doing in the modern world.

If there are things you have been thinking about doing but just can’t muster the drive, allow the energy of spring to push you forward. And at least try to cross one thing off your bucket list or even your honey-do list.

You don’t have to take over the world. Just doing one new activity will make you feel stronger and hopefully give you the desire to try other ones.

Some people get a form of socalled spring fever where they have very low energy, and though their mood is fine, they tend to want to be lazy and take naps. If that’s part of your biochemistry, and it’s just the way you are, no problem. However, if you are using it as a means of avoiding life, you probably need to take another look at your choices, and you may need to force yourself not to give in to your perceived need to kick back for a few months.

So now that spring has sprung, and the sun is shining (at least a little), you have every reason to take in the warmth and enjoy it.

Dr. Barton Goldsmith is an award-winning psychotherapist and humanitarian. He is also a columnist, the author of eight books, and a blogger for PsychologyToday.com with more than 34 million readers. He is available for video consults worldwide, reach him at barton@ bartongoldsmith.com. His column appears Saturdays and Mondays in the News-Press.