It's Spring Time to Refresh and Revaluate Your Life

By Rosemary Recore

During the winter months people seem to trudge through each day to complete tasks that need to be done, and forget to stop and smell the roses. People forget to stop and relax and take care of themselves. Winter is a time of year when the earth sleeps and regroups, but people just keep on running here and there without slowing down to enjoy the moment. Then spring comes and what do people do? Some take the time to stop and catch their breath. People need to be refreshed just like the flowers and the trees. They need to reevaluate their lives and make sure they are on the right track. Look to see if your life is going in the right direction and whether you are happy on the road you are on.

A good way to do that is to literally stop, or at least slow down enough to plant a garden or a tree. It can be very rewarding to watch something you have planted grow and flourish into something beautiful and vibrant. Or you can go for a nice long walk in the wilderness, and leave your cell phone and other gadgets at home so that you can relax and enjoy the moment. Spend more time with your family by doing outings that everyone enjoys.

Spring is the time of year when you watch the plants start to wake up and come to life. Nature can make you forget about the rat race for a little while at least. If you have children, take them to a petting zoo, on a picnic, or just spend the warm days outdoors at home and do yard work together. During the long, cold winter, where the days are short and the nights are long, you don't get much chance to commune with nature. So when spring arrives start spending as much time as you can outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. If you are not an outdoor person there are things you can do inside to bring spring in to you. Open your windows and let the fresh air come in. Buy plants, spread them around your home and enjoy the greenery indoors. Play a board game with your kids and make it a family time.

The point is that spring is a wonderful time of year to slow down, reevaluate your life, to make new goals and decisions. Make your goals changeable so you don't fall into a rut. Different goals can open new doors for you and make life less mundane for a while. But to rejuvenate your life, or refresh it, I recommend that you plant something that will cheer you and make you happy. Springtime always finds me looking forward to the days ahead and being thankful winter is over for a little while.

05/05/08  By Rosemary Recore