As September arrives, it brings with it a time of transition—a season where we begin to collect the bounties of our hard work while also making space for new beginnings. This year has been full of changes for me, and as I reflect on the transitions I’ve navigated, I recognize the importance of creating a ritual that honors both the closing of one chapter and the opening of another.
This fall, I’m embracing a simple but powerful ritual: a monthly reflection where I greet the new month with intentions, invocations, and energies for myself and others. It’s a way to start each month with purpose and then return to these words at the month’s end to see if I’ve been able to align with my own hopes and guidance.
September, in particular, feels like a significant time for new beginnings. Past emotions that I’ve tried to suppress have resurfaced, first gently, and now with a blaring insistence, urging me to slow down and focus inward. Much of this is grief—grief from losing loved ones, from letting go of dreams, and from navigating the inevitable transitions of life. It’s grief that has layered itself over time, making it difficult for my body and mind to process, as they’ve been on high alert for far too long.
This month, I’m committed to moving into spaces that support my nervous system, spaces that don’t continuously activate my fight, flight, or freeze responses. As I’ve started giving more attention to my needs and taking action to ensure I’m in healthier environments, I’ve noticed other positive shifts, too. Relationships have deepened, and love has flowed in unexpectedly, all because I’ve made the choice to love myself more. It’s heartwarming to see how one action can lead to others, how everything is connected, even if we can’t always see it.
I’ve Made the Choice to Love Myself More
A Time to Slow Down and Reconnect with Calm
As September unfolds, I hope it greets me—and you—with moments of calm and clarity, allowing us to pause and embrace the beauty of change. I yearn for slowness, for stillness, but I know that with these come the thoughts and feelings I’ve tried to avoid. It’s a double-edged sword: the calm I crave can also bring forward anxiety, sadness, and overwhelm. But I believe the key lies in getting back to a place of calm because that is where my strength is. It’s in the stillness that I can find my way back to myself, where I can ground myself in the protective calm that shields me from chaos.
To nurture this calm, I’m focusing on my space—my home, where I have control. I’m cleaning, decluttering, and moving things around to invite peace, joy, love, softness, and stillness into my life. I’m also returning to activities that center and ground me, like working with clay. When I’m lost in a clay project, the world falls silent, and it’s just me and my creation—a sacred, calming space where I can reconnect with myself.
Small Steps, Big Changes
Yet, even with the best intentions, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. The list of things I want to do to care for myself grows long, and instead of diving in, I sometimes find myself immobilized, sitting in front of the TV, feeling guilty for not doing the things that would help me feel better. But I remind myself that I’m not alone in this. It’s always best to start small. Small actions are big actions. Small steps will eventually lead to big results.
As I tell my clients, it’s okay to move slowly. As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), I know that my emotions and thoughts often feel larger than life, leading to overwhelm. But I also know that my HSP self craves calm and quiet to function amidst the chaos the world brings. So today, I’m taking small steps—cleaning and decluttering one section of my home at a time. When I feel that it’s enough, I honor that message and stop. Yes, I would like everything done, but it’s more important to honor my needs now, after so many years of not listening to them.
Welcoming September with Compassion and Strength
As we move through September, may we all find pathways that ease our journey, small joys that light our way, and the serenity that comes from knowing we’re exactly where we need to be. Whatever burdens you carry, may September bring you relief, even if just in small, meaningful ways. We deserve days filled with compassion, moments that feed our souls, and the reassuring truth that our softness is a strength.
Wishing you a September full of warmth, growth, and quiet courage.