To me, there is something special about the winter. Everyone is always trying to avoid it, escape it. I used to feel that way until I started to embrace it. Embrace the slowness, darkness, find peace in the quiet. Accept stillness.

When I lived in Los Angeles I would always crave a storm or a rainy day. I wanted anything but the predictability of 70 degrees and sunny everyday. If you live anywhere but California perhaps you’re asking why wouldn’t everyone want that - but when I look back on my 5 years there, I can’t pinpoint where in time anything happened. It all blurs together into one. This is one of many reasons why long term New York and the East Coast are a much better fit for me, I love seasons, the moments that they mark in time, the energy that each invite.

Every season has something different to offer… the shift that Fall brings. The slow, introspective energy Winter brings. The clarity and blooming of Spring. The warmth and social-ness that Summer offers. They all serve their purpose, and I find myself leaning into the unique energy in each one.

What I love about winter is that it forces us to slow down. To look within, to stop busying our days with nonstop plans and things to do. It allows us to rest and to hibernate. I take winter as a time to get introspective, look within. Put my blinders on, put my head down and do the work.

I find myself listening to people speak and everyone is in such a mood because it’s winter. Complaining about the cold, complaining that it gets dark out at 5pm these days and everything is utterly depressing and blah, blah, blah. The reality is that if you live in a climate with four seasons, winter takes up 1/4 of the year, and that equates to about 1/4 of your life. And personally I don’t want to sit around being miserable for 1/4 of my life just because it’s winter!

So instead of complain, I lean in. I romanticize winter. I read lots of books, binge watch new tv shows, learn something new, create something fresh, look within, rearrange my home, cook warm nourishing meals, end the day with a hot tea or bone broth. Maybe, this winter, try to lean in. Try to enjoy it. Maybe say no to the night of drinking so that you can start learning that language you always promised you would try, or dive into the book thats been sitting on the shelf unread for weeks or months. Try something new. Embrace the stillness.

Perhaps this winter you’ll view it in a new light - see what it may offer you and what you could learn from it.

x A

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