Turn Over A New Leaf

Happy November 1st! We've made it through the summer months and are cruising smoothly right through autumn. We are almost to peak color here in Michigan due to the rains, chilly days, then warmer days. As of last night Halloween has come and gone. Depending on the children traffic in your neighborhood, many adults will be running on a sugar high today as they've been sent out the door with the leftover candy.

With the seasonal change comes lower temperatures, the colors on the trees are now reds and oranges and yellows, and there's a certain sense of calm in the early morning hours. The air is crisp, there's a covering of frost on the grass and the rooftops, and there's a feeling of peace and quiet. And then another ten minutes goes by; the sunrise is just a memory and the traffic and noise begins once again.

 

For me, autumn is the season of leaves; they're colorful, they're crunchy when you walk through them, and there's the sense of peace and adventure everyone experiences when they drive down the road and the wind swirls all the leaves up into the air and around your car. For that brief moment you can just take a deep breath and enjoy the beauty of the moment for what it is.

Many people associate New Year's Day with the day you set a new goal and focus on the changes and opportunities that are presenting themselves to you in the upcoming year, BUT why not take advantage of November 1st and the glorious autumn season to TURN OVER A NEW LEAF? Why wait another two months to begin fresh and make a needed change? Why not get a jump start on improving your life by beginning today ... right now?

In another seven days the election will take place and life, as we know it, will change big time. No matter WHO you vote for and no matter which side you're on; someone will win and someone will lose. Someone will have a less than desirable moral character and someone will be considered corrupt. Both candidates will continue to bash each other and then act surprised and hurt and violated when the tables are turned. Some voters will be thrilled and others will be devastated. I will always be entitled to my own opinion and beliefs, as will you; but I can still hold firm to my own values and hope that my vote will still make a difference. Early polls and phone surveys will still try to sway potential voters and predict a winner a week before the election (which always fascinates me because in all my years of voting no one has EVER asked me who I plan to vote for; although even if they did I would tell them that was my business and not theirs, lol).

 

Yes, our country is at a pivotal point for all of us. History is about to be written and added to the books. Either we will have our first woman president or our first non-politician president. Future decisions will be made for us (supposedly with our interests being considered, but I have yet to see any real proof of that). Right now the ONLY thing I can do is cast MY vote. I will continue to listen and observe and think and ponder and HOPE that my vote and yours actually matter.

 

I am choosing to honor today by turning over a new leaf. I will hope and pray that by honoring my civic duty and voting - I will be making a difference. Yet I have the peace of mind knowing that while I may not be able to make a noticeable difference on the larger scale I CAN make a difference in my own life by living my days based on my morals and values. I can choose to live MY life by the standards I deem are important. Government may be in a position to tell me how much more I will pay for my required healthcare, how much my taxes are going to cost me, and what the economy will look like ... BUT they can never tell me not to still be nice to my neighbor, to not be a courteous driver, to not continue to try to make a difference at my job or as a parent. While the characters of most politicians may be questionable, I still get to decide my own. Whether I'm doing a good or bad job of that just shows that I am human and clearly a work in progress. It also means, on a good day, that I get to sleep at night with a clear conscious.

 

What about you? While I encourage everyone to vote in this upcoming election, I also encourage you to take the reigns on your own life. Stand back and look in the mirror. What are you happy with in your life and what do you think needs a little work? Where do you think you can improve and make a difference? Making a change requires effort and forethought; it's never easy, but definitely worth it.

 

Happy November 1st!