Springtime (article) by Dr. Ronald D. Bissell on AuthorsDen

Spring brings more to life than you can imagine. “[Spring is] when life's alive in everything.” Christina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)Spring is my most favorite time of the year. As I write this article I can look out my window and see buds breaking open and I realize that a new cycle of life is about to begin. Everything is fresh and new and the air smells different in ways that defies description. The sky is bright blue and the grass is beginning to take on that beautiful green glow that only is seen in spring. “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” Anne Bradstreet (1612 - 1672), 'Meditations Divine and Moral,' 1655 My view seems like a watercolor in action. Colors come and go and intermingle is ways that have not been seen for months. The vibrancy of life can be seen all around and I’m drawn to the feeling of new energy and new opportunities. It is that freshness of opportunity that gives me the drive to remove the cobwebs from my mind and to begin anew to see life as the miracle it is. “Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.” Dietrich BonhofferThe question that comes to my mind as I gaze out my window is simply this. What am I to do with this new life that has been given to me? Will I take this moment to nourish those seeds that have lain dormant within me or will I water and fertilize them to provide the means to a new life? The questions of spring dance in my head and cause me to pause amid the splendor I see. “That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way.” Doris LessingThis is what spring is to me. It is a new way of looking at my life and a new opportunity to infuse those properties that will bring forth a rebirth of happiness amid the turmoil that is called life. Spring reminds me of the freshness that each day can be and the need of renewal of purpose and intent in my life. “Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up.” Pearl Buck (1892 - 1973)I reach inside myself and feel that kernel of love that is who I am and grasp it with both hands. I collect my thoughts and center them on this nexus of my being and transport it into my conscious mind. It is there that I can bring it into my life and begin the process of renewal and change. It is there that spring really begins and I can see farther than ever before. “Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” William James (1842 - 1910)Spring is such a meaningful time of the year. Many miss the opportunities that spring brings and cast its beauty away. I choose to grasp onto each morsel of spring and to allow them to give my life the jumpstart it needs to be creative, inventive, and whole. What is the choice you make as the trees bud and the flowers blossom around you? Will you miss this opportunity to become energized with the power of change?“Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.” King Whitney Jr.Enjoy every moment of spring this year and become a new spirit. Allow the newness of spring to apply itself to the world around you and see it change in the direction of your heart. “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” Carol Burnett (1936 - )
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