The Train Series 10: Cycles

First published on October 21, 2016

Autumn is here in the UK. The leaves of some of the trees are turning. It's colder - I'm wearing my scarf today for the first time since last winter (and not just because I need it for my trip to Norway with Coachingpartner this weekend). I like autumn - I love crisp autumn days, with the sun shining on golden leaves from low in the sky, when you feel like you can see for miles. Just writing about it makes me want to be in North America, where even in my single visit, those crisp days can seem even more spectacular. But thinking about that makes me remember New York in December, and that takes me to the joy of Old York in the snow in winter, or huddled in a beautiful English pub with a fire going, maybe with Christmas decorations up.

I like winter too. And of course the summer is probably London at its best: the parks full of people, the pubs overflowing, outdoor theatre, and sitting on our balcony on a balmy evening feeling continental. So there's something to like about all the seasons, except maybe the spring, which is really a poor man's autumn or a poor man's summer, depending on how you look at it. Unless you arrive somewhere when the blossom is out, in which case it's surprising and jaw dropping. And of course those first days of warmth, shirt sleeves or no coat for the first time, and the sense of promise of the coming summer. 

The seasons each had different thrills when I was young, although sun and snow were always a part of them. 

We live in a series of complex and entwined cycles. Our days, weeks, months. Our jobs, families, relationships. Our thoughts, patterns, emotions. 

I was reflecting a few days ago that I like feeling sad, sometimes. There is something wholesome about it. Nancy Kline calls it the body's way of processing emotion, as vital as going to the toilet is in dealing with another of our cycles. 

We find it easy to see the positives in all areas of some of our cycles, and very difficult in others. But looking at those cycles which we seem to hate or resent - looking for the best parts of what seem to be the worst parts - can be powerful in finding a way through them. A way to live. 

If you look, who knows what you might find?