Fall Is Upon Us – Quit Resisting What Is and Love Where You Are Now – Even If Another Winter is Coming!

I was at Walmart yesterday, buying some supplies for class, and saw they had my favorite warm socks out again. That’s good news, if you like soft, warm socks in fall colors as much as I do. It’s bad news when you realize you are starting to want something warm on your feet, and have to give up the sandals…and barefeet for the next 6 months.

When the swimsuits disappear, out come the scarves, hats and fuzzy socks in my favorite colors. Burnt orange, wine, charcoal, gold and heather…thick and cozy socks all lined up on the wall. Knee high, ankle-boot socks, and over the knee, all so inviting I pile a half dozen in my cart. I can’t believe this is happening already. Did I even go swimming this summer?

Four years ago I was asked to come north, for what we then believed would be one winter. Just one cold, dark, dreary midwest winter. I came from Florida, left the sunshine, palm trees, beaches and Disney behind. Four years later, I’m still here. Miraculously, I’m still here.

Each year, as winter approaches, I’ve dreaded it. I vow it’s my last winter, each year. My loved ones know how much I long to be standing knee deep in turquoise waters, my feet sinking into white sand.

And each year, I stock up on the essentials; socks, blankets, teas, happy lites, salt lamps and sea salt pipes. Any which way we can pretend to have sun, salt air and warmth.

In the past I lined my walls with pictures of the beach, seashells line my tables and nightstands. Then I would spend my evenings meditating on the sunshine and imagining myself by the water as the temperatures dropped.

I thought it would get me back to the sea faster. Instead it kept me from accepting the place where I am, and need to be.

It is good to imagine what it is you desire, and see yourself in the future living the life you want. But always imagining you are someplace else, rather than loving where you are…it isn’t good for you. It can be an escape from living the life you have, and being present with what is.

Here’s what I have learned, for four winters I stared at the words, “Love Where You Live” big and bold in the center of my vision board. As I would meditate on those words, and the pictures of gorgeous homes in dreamy locations, I knew one day I would love where I lived.

I believed I would love where I lived, because I would be living in a dreamy place. Locations anyone could love to live in, with beauty and harmony all around.

But recently I looked at those words on my vision board, and realized the truth that had been eluding me. “Love Where You Live” means right now.

Not when you get to live in paradise. For it doesn’t exist in this world. Not the way it looks in pictures.

Love where you live, means right now, even if the winters are ugly and cold.

Love where you live, means right now, even if it’s dark and gray outside.

Love where you are right now, even though you don’t have everything you want.

If we could have everything we want, seems it would be easy to love that life. But can you love the life you have been given?

Can you love where you are in life, even if it wasn’t your idea to be there?

Can you learn to love who you are, where you are, who you are with, and what you have been asked to do in this lifetime…totally…completely…unconditionally?

When you learn to love what you have, it’s easier for the Universe to bless you with more. When you resist, you keep at bay any other options.

Lean into what you have, and things will change. But that can’t be the motivation to love where you are now.

It must be sincere. You may have to work on this, as I have, but eventually you wake up and realize, you love where you are. Deep down, you do, or you wouldn’t be there.

I love it here. I really do. It’s seems crazy and contrary to love this place. There are things about the midwest, and Kansas City that I really don’t like. But like a lover, you learn to love their flaws as well as their wonderful characteristics.

Or it isn’t real love.

It’s easy to love beauty, peace, harmony, and joy. But can you learn to love the dark? Can you love cold, gray, difficult days? Can you love difficult people? People who don’t view life the same way you do? Can you love ugliness, disharmony and strife? Seems we need to learn to love what is, before anything or anyone will change.

There is so much we can learn when we lean into what we have been resisting. This is going to be an interesting winter. I can’t promise anyone, especially myself, that I will love the cold, dark days this winter. I can’t tell you I look forward to winter.

But I can tell you I’m no longer resisting it. I will be with it fully. I will buy my socks, as usual, stock up on teas, as usual, but I am taking down the ocean pictures. I’m not going to wish I were somplace else every day.

I will appreciate knowing I am where I am meant to be, doing what I am called to do. And I love being here. It’s a good place to be.

Be at peace with where you are. In life, in love, in the country.

We are here.

In peace and warm socks,

Cat RunningElk