I find most of my answers to life's deepest questions through observing the way in which the universe plays itself out, repeatedly, through countless examples.

As we shift our lives to be more in tune with nature, the cycles of the seasons are becoming one of our greatest teachers.

They are, like many things, a microcosm of life itself.

Spring is the start of it all. A season of birth (or rebirth), of sowing seeds. It encapsulates new growth and learning. It is a time of outward experience emerging from the essence of life itself. In a way, this could be seen as your youth, your beginning.

Summer is a season of long days, hard work, and enjoyment. The sunlight allows for more time to hone your skills, build relationships, and enjoy your surroundings. This could be compared to the golden years of early to mid-adulthood.

Fall is the time to reap the harvest of your labor, investments, and creations. You are preparing to settle in for the winter ahead, enjoying the unrivaled poignant beauty of the fall colors and the collection of your bounty, but it is entangled with a hint of pensiveness as you watch the leaves begin to fall. This is typically your later adult years, when your children become adults and your years of toiling, investing, and growing begin to reward you with security and (hopefully) abundance.

Winter is the time for rest. To find a comfortable place to be and settle into the darkness and solitude it naturally brings. You watch the colors fade from the world until there is only… oneness. And just as the leaves begin to fall and the tree turns itself inward to sleep, so do you. In this, there is silence, peace, and acceptance of the cycle come full circle.

This heart-wrenchingly beautiful story has been woven throughout everything around us, and regardless of our own plans, we all will, one way or another, share this same adventure.

Having the gift of living more closely with what is happening in the environment around me has made me feel these shifts even more strongly and allowed me to relate my inner experience to the cycles we observe in the world.

The interesting thing about humans, and why we often fall into the trap of feeling like we exist as something apart from nature, is we are the one thing that seems to be able to fight against these natural cycles, usually to our detriment.

For Laurel and I, before we left Canada, I would say it felt as though we were in the summer season of our life.

We were putting a lot of energy into our careers, toiling away. What we lacked was the counterbalance to a summer season.

Nurturing relationships and enjoying our youth was something that we constantly sacrificed to our work.

I think this is a common occurrence in modern times, as it seems to be getting harder to get ahead these days.

To be clear, I don't think being committed to a job and working hard are inherently problematic or to be avoided.

We just felt like we were in the middle of a summer that wasn't leading to the type of fall we envisioned. Which I believe is something a lot of others feel as well.

So in a sense, when we packed up our lives, sold everything, and said goodbye to our friends and family, we were hitting the reset button in our life. We had to go back to an internal and external season of spring to experience the growth and learning in the type of things that would lead us into a kind of summer we actually would enjoy.

This was not easy, and yes, at times it felt like moving backward in life.

But as this journey goes on, the more content and assured I am that we made the right decision for us.

As the "winter" is approaching us here in Thailand, which is more like a Canadian summer, we are feeling the winds of change again on the horizon, and not just environmentally, but within ourselves as well.

We feel as if our spring is coming to an end, and we are looking to the next thing for us.

A place to work hard and commit ourselves to again, but this time more in alignment with the experience we actually want out of life.

We are exploring our options and seeing what opportunities will present themselves, and also who is willing to join us. It's a very exciting time.

Our journey so far has taught us the valuable insight of viewing life as a series of seasons, each offering unique lessons and opportunities.

And recognizing that just as nature's cycles guide us, embracing the ebb and flow of personal seasons can lead to greater harmony, balance, and fulfillment in our lives.

Whether you find yourself in a season of growth, abundance, reflection, or transformation, remember that each phase contributes to the beautiful tapestry of your life's story.

Embrace the changes, learn from them, and let them guide you toward a more authentic and purposeful existence.

Thank you for being a part of our story, and we look forward to sharing the future seasons of our lives with you.

Things I Enjoyed This Week

🎬 Video - Nathaniel Drew has to be one of the greatest filmmakers on YouTube. His content is varied, but generally focuses on self improvement and philosophy. If you enjoy that side to our videos, I think you will very much enjoy his content as well. Here is one of my favorite videos of his.

📜Newsletter - I eagerly anticipate each edition of The Slowdown Farmsteads Newsletter every week. Tara and her husband's remarkable endeavors on their small farm in Canada never cease to uplift and inspire me. Their commitment to sourcing 100% of their food from their own farm, despite the challenges of the mostly frozen environment, is truly commendable. Tara's narratives are not only captivating but also exquisitely crafted. If you share an interest in self-sufficiency, I can hardly imagine a more enriching read.

Our Video This Week

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