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August 28, 2025 โ€ข 10 mins

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๐Ÿ‚ That unmistakable shift in the air signals more than just the turning of seasonsโ€”it touches something deeper within us. The angle of sunlight, the rustle of leaves, the crisp blue skyโ€”all converge to create what I call that inescapable fall feeling. โœจ

In this episode, I guide you through a simple mindfulness exercise to reflect on the past yearโ€”what was hard, what came easily, what surprised you, what sparked curiosity, and what amazed you. ๐ŸŒŸ This practice offers a new vantage point for self-reflection and reveals insights that might otherwise remain hidden.

I also share a reading from my book on fallโ€™s unique dualityโ€”how it feels like both an ending and a beginning, holding space for nostalgia and new possibilities. ๐Ÿ Remember how as children, fall brought excitement and uncertainty in equal measure? That wisdom is still available to us.

So, as you feel that unmistakable fall feeling, consider it an invitation to slow down, embrace your inner child, and fully inhabit the present momentโ€”with your favorite sweater, a good book, and permission to simply be. ๐Ÿง˜โ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ“–โœจ

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey there, I thought I'd check in with you today just
to see how you're feeling.
I know that myself.
With the seasons changing andfall sort of coming upon us,
labor Day brings around allsorts of feels, doesn't it?
I know?
For me it's about familygatherings and who will be

(00:24):
joining and who is no longerwith us, and also about the
reminder that these moments areso precious.
I can remember vividly one yearback what I was doing on this
Thursday before Labor Day, andit's an interesting kind of

(00:50):
place to take a look at yourself, a vantage point.
You know what's gone on inbetween, in the places where
there are spaces, dare I say.
You know what's changed, what'sI say you know what's changed,
what's something that isnostalgic, what's something that

(01:11):
is a takeaway from this year.
You know years don't alwayshave to happen at new year.
You know when the actual yearis changing, because there's
always time to look back fromtoday, every day, and to glean
any kind of information or giftsthat have come from the past,

(01:34):
or just to maybe sometimescelebrate what you've done or to
acknowledge who's touched youin your life during this time.
It's really a great exercise toreflect and it's easy to get
locked into that kind of morosefeeling, that feeling of ending

(02:00):
when the seasons change.
But I want you just to take amoment to really be in the
moment with me, and I've chosensomething from my book that I'm
gonna share with you.
That I think is kind of aproposfor today.
But before we get into that, Iinvite you to take this time
right now to think about a fewthings that really stand out to

(02:24):
you from this past year.
Specifically, think aboutsomething that was hard, really
hard.
Go ahead and write it down, ifyou want, if that's helpful.

(02:44):
Go ahead and write it down ifyou want, if that's helpful.
And now I want you to thinkabout something that was really
easy, something that came veryeasily to you this year.
Whatever that is, go ahead andthink about that and jot it down

(03:05):
.
Ponder it for a moment.
And now, what about somethingsurprising?
What really surprised you thispast year?
Something unexpected, somethingunexpected, something you

(03:31):
learned.
Now I want you to think aboutsomething really interesting,
something that really piquedyour interest this past year you
didn't necessarily do anythingabout it, but what was really
interesting to you this year?

(03:53):
And write those things down.
Whatever comes up for you, whatkind of made you go huh or got
your curiosity going.
And finally, what's somethingthat you would consider to be

(04:16):
amazing, something that justmakes you go whoa, something
that was just amazing this year.
What would that be?
Notice how you're feeling whenyou revisit these things, these

(04:40):
things that were hard, thesethings that were easy,
surprising, interesting andamazing.
These are all pieces andexperiences that you've had over
the years or over this pastyear, over the years or over

(05:01):
this past year.
And now I want you just tobring yourself to this moment
and ask yourself what'ssomething that's amazing about
right now, what's somethinginteresting about right now?
What's something surprising inyour life right now?

(05:29):
Is there something that comeseasy to you at this moment in
your life?
And finally, what's somethingthat's really hard right now?
And I want you just to sort ofsit with that for a minute,

(06:01):
notice what you notice and thenjust forget about it.
I'm going to share a littlesomething with you now and, if
you would like to reflect on itafterwards, I'll leave you with
a prompt.
This is chapter 14, thatinescapable fall feeling.

(06:24):
There's an inescapable feelingthat fall brings.
It elicits a physical responsein the pit of my stomach and an
impulse to both hide and exploreat the same time.
The angle of the sun or therustle of a tree branch against

(06:44):
the cold blue sky can trigger itAt once.
Lonely and ominous and just asquickly, vibrant and full of
opportunities to start somethingnew.
A beginning and an ending allat the same time, as children
fall, brought that uniqueback-to-school feeling, a mix of

(07:06):
fear and excitement for the newstart of school and what
possibilities lay ahead Newclothes, fresh books and a
schedule all planned out for us.
Isn't it funny that, as adults,we have such a binary
relationship with schedules.
On the one hand, we resent themand on the other, we

(07:30):
desperately crave them.
As kids, our fall schedule wasmore like a lottery one that
determined who our teacher wouldbe and what kids were in our
class.
You never knew which teachermight change your life
trajectory or if a classmatemight become a lifelong friend.
All we were required to do wasshow up.

(07:55):
There are lessons we can learnfrom how we rolled.
When we were children, weweren't worried about the big
picture future.
Our parents and teachers didall that for us, and we were
laser focused on navigating theimmediate future.
The next class, the next glancefrom a bully or a crush.
Each moment had a heightenedsignificance that felt like or a

(08:18):
crush.
Each moment had a heightenedsignificance that felt like,
well, it could be our last.
We lived the highs and lows asthey came, before we learned how
to bottle them up inside orbecame trained to manage our
emotions.
In many ways, we were trulyliving in the present and
feeling all the feels that eachmoment of every day brought,

(08:41):
unaware that we were doing it.
We were choosing courage andvulnerability over fear of the
unknown.
We were masters of living inthe moment.
And so, as the long days ofsummer inevitably fade into the
early fall sunset and thatinescapable fall feeling comes

(09:03):
over you, don your favoriteboots and sweater, breathe in
the crisp fall air, linger in abookstore and enjoy the fruits
of the harvest.
Let it be a reminder to slowdown, embrace your inner child

(09:24):
and live in the moment.
It's an invitation, my friends,to let go of longing for the
past and to schedule some timefor yourself to not worry about
the future.
Today I'm Lisa Hopkins.
Thanks so much for listening.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone, and remember to live in the

(09:49):
moment.
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