Finding Root in Change: A Season of Renewal

As I acclimate to a second chance at partnership, the midlife part of me feels both grateful and, strangely, a little behind.

While many people my age are buying homes and investing in things that matter, I sometimes feel like I’m still catching up.

For years, I was just surviving as life crumbled around me.

The Cost of Constant Movement

The lot I was dealt in life came with a lot of movement — moving homes, cities, even countries.

Besides the financial expense, each new start meant a new job, new people, a new climate, and a new mentality to adjust to.

The benefit? I learned to adapt quickly and make the best of any situation.

But now, my body feels tired. My soul feels tired.

As I step into this new chapter, I’m incredibly grateful, but I’m also absorbing the emotional weight of everything I’ve left behind.

Seeking Strength in What I Can Control

In this season of life, I’m learning to focus on what I can control rather than what I can’t.

My daily practices — the small, grounding habits that keep me steady — are where I find strength.

One morning, after meditating, I felt pulled to go outside.

The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and autumn was fully present. Leaves were changing color and gently falling to the ground, creating a tapestry of reds, oranges, and yellows.

That’s when it hit me: we try so hard to hold onto what we have, but like a tree clinging to its old leaves, we end up stunting our own growth.

Learning to Let Go

Where does this realization leave me?

Where do I stand in my own journey of shedding the old and embracing the new?

As I walk into this new chapter, I’m learning to let go of the things I once mothered, nurtured, and created as offerings to the world.

I’m learning to cycle back to my roots, to ground myself so that I can grow again.

A Meditation on Rooting

When I feel a lack of direction, I practice a grounding meditation.

I sit quietly on the couch, close my eyes, and visualize myself as a tree.

I picture my roots stretching deep into the fertile, mineral-rich earth, soaking up the nourishment I need.

With every breath, I draw strength from the ground beneath me, reminding myself that true growth starts from within.

This meditation helps me focus on the future and gives me the strength to continue producing and contributing to the world, even as I shed what no longer serves me.

Grounding Practice: The Root Meditation

When direction feels uncertain, I practice this grounding meditation:

1. Find a comfortable seat on your couch

2. Close your eyes and visualize yourself as a great tree

3. Imagine your roots extending deep into the earth

4. Feel them drawing up nourishment from the mineral-rich soil

5. Let this energy fill you, supporting your growth forward

Life’s Natural Trade-offs

Life rarely gives us everything at once. Like a garden, we must choose what to nurture in each season. It’s about prioritizing wisely and building strong foundations before reaching for the fruits.

No one can have everything.

We trade time for opportunity, comfort for growth, and stability for exploration.

The trick is to prioritize in the right order.

Most of us try to build before we have a foundation, to leap before we have direction.

Foundations First

I credit my mother with teaching me the importance of building a strong foundation.

She raised us with the mindset that relationships, family, and character come before career or external achievements.

I often joke that we did things “backward,” focusing on the core of who we are before the outer trappings.

This approach has taught me that life is not about what we produce, but who we become in the process.

You Are Not What You Produce

You are not defined by what you create or achieve, but by the tools and character traits you acquire along the way.

The things you produce in the future are simply a testament to the refinement of your skillset and experiences.

It’s the inner qualities — patience, resilience, adaptability — that define us, not the external outcomes.

As I navigate this new season, I’m learning to let go, to root down, and to nurture what truly matters.

There is beauty in the process of shedding and re-rooting, in making peace with what we leave behind to make room for what lies ahead.

May we all find the courage to release what no longer serves us, to build solid foundations, and to live not just for what we produce, but for the journey itself.

Warmly, 

Esther

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