Changing Seasons

A few weeks ago, I was having a bad day where it felt like nothing was going right.

It was one of those days where banging my knee on the coffee table is proof that “today is just not my day.” It was a feeling that I’d been struggling with for a few weeks.

When I arrived on a Zoom call later that day, I was seemingly wearing my day on my face. My good friend and colleague, Sarah Ohanesian, asked how I was doing and proceeded to listen to me vent about being trapped on an out-of-control roller coaster.

She smiled, and calmly stated:

Maybe you’re just in a season right now.

Sarah ohanesian

Seasons Change

Maybe you’re a bit like me…

• When your revenue is down, you get stressed out and wonder if things will ever turn around
• When your revenue is up, you feel on top of the world and hope that—this time—it will stay like this forever
• When you take time off of work, you feel lazy
• When you burn the candle at both ends, you feel burned out

Sarah’s choice of the word season felt especially appropriate.

I hate summer with its scorching sun and sticky humidity. Yet, I’m keenly aware that it will end at some point to usher in the cool autumn breeze with its beautiful changing leaves and the return of Pumpkin Spice everything.

Despite the obvious nature of the sentiment that life will offer ups and downs, ebbs and flows, or peaks and valleys, I found the idea of being “in a season” to be uniquely helpful.

To give you a glimpse inside of my head to explain why, I think it’s because seasons generally last for several months. This gave me the freedom to sit with the discomfort a little longer than usual. This framing is distinctly different from the “just walk it off” or “you’ll feel better after a nap” undercurrent that is embedded in our culture’s typical impatient approach to emotional distress.

I am not your guru

This post is not intended to become a motivational quote and I’m well aware that to say that “nothing lasts forever” is hardly groundbreaking.

I just think it’s important to share a good idea when I hear one.

For nearly the past 2 months, I’ve been in a season. Not overwhelmingly bad, just less productive, less motivated, and more focused on life outside of work. Perhaps it’s the hot weather, maybe I’m not getting enough sleep, or perhaps it’s just the lingering effects of being trapped in a corner of my house due to a deadly global pandemic. Who can say for sure?

If you are feeling some kind of way, or you’re not feeling like yourself, or things have changed for you recently, I’d like to suggest as Sarah kindly did for me that “maybe you’re just in a season right now.”

Try it on, see how it feels and know that a new season isn’t far away.