Keeping the Spring in our step this March

SPRING is often associated with re-birth, renewal, and rejuvenation. Farmers may already be welcoming new born lambs into their midst, while bees and butterflies will soon be appearing in gardens and greens. Some of us might spot the ‘mad march hare’ in the distance, while out on our evening walk, or be fortunate enough to help rehome the now rarely seen ‘hairy molly’ from the sidewalk to some luscious undergrowth, as I recently was!

While the promise of new adventures can feel exciting, they can also bring with them the possibilities of encountering challenges and road blocks along the way. It can be easy to lose connection with the feeling of excitement and motivation, born from the new season, if we are faced with recurring or unexpected challenges before reaching our goals.

New beginnings often come hand-in-hand with challenges, and it is important to consider when embarking on new beginnings that bumps in the road may be an inevitable part of the journey, so that the journey doesn’t end before it has a chance to begin.

Navigating the road blocks
New adventures can come in many forms. For those of you who have had an opportunity to read about or watch the real-life documentary about the ‘Bearman of Buncrana,’ you will recognise this as an example of a very big adventure indeed! I recently watched this documentary, which tells the story of Killian McLaughlin, from Buncrana, Co. Donegal, who embarks on a life-long dream to open his own rewilding wildlife park.

The documentary details his experiences along the way, as he tries to fulfil his ambition to safely rewild once native animals back to Ireland, including bears, lynxes, and wolves. I was struck while watching this story how many, at times seemingly impossible, challenges he encountered along the way. As the story unfolds he appears to take each challenge on, one by one, maintaining a positive mindset, with a clear vision towards the goal.

Watching this story reminded me that, although challenges can feel very difficult at the time, sometimes threatening to stop us in our tracks, when faced can help us to grow to feel more resilient, and better able to face into the next challenge that might arise.

Enjoying new adventures
While we might not be planning to take on something quite as big as rewilding a wildlife
park, Spring is a time where we can consider new hobbies, new projects, or picking back up something we have put down, but would like to try again.

As evenings lengthen, these new opportunities can present themselves. This is often a good time of the season to keep our eyes and ears open to doorways that may be open to us, so that we can begin to plan our next adventure.
When we do find a way to put one foot in front of the other, our sense of learning and confidence can grow along with us. Recognising that challenges may arise, but that we can take steps to navigate them, can help us to enjoy the challenge of a new adventure we may never have thought possible.

Enjoy the journey and keep sight of your goal
There is a great phrase, often used but useful to remember, that ‘nature finds a way.’ Nature is of course a great teacher, and as many of us know, will almost always find a way to thrive, even in the face of many challenges. How often have we seen a small green shoot emerge from the soil, in the most unexpected place?

Nature is also a wonderful example of a slow and steady worker, who follows a rhythm, and who keeps the goal in sight. A bit like nature, we too can put in place some goals for ourselves at this turn of the season. Why not take some time to consider what goals you might like to achieve this season, or new adventures you’d like to try, so that in a few weeks’ time you can look back and see how far you have come.

Much like the bees, blossoms, and birds who are waking from their winter slumber to get to work, we too can draw energy from the sun, and motivation from the season, to make sure we make the most of the blessed season of Spring.

A final thought...
Spring is for many a new season of hope and revival. As nature awakens, so too can our desire to set ourselves goals, and try out new adventures.

Much like nature, we can often find ourselves facing into challenges along the way, only to find that the experience ofnavigating these can leave us feeling heartened, and ready to take our next step.

Emma Coonan is an Accredited Psychotherapist with IAHIP and ICP, Lectures in Psychotherapy, and is a qualified Adult Education Trainer. After leaving Coláiste Phobal Roscrea, Emma studied English and Media in Maynooth University, before combining her Psychotherapy training with experience in the corporate world. Emma focuses on applying Psychotherapy practices for everyday living, through developing resilience, stress response, and mindfulness practice. Emma writes the monthly column for the Midland Tribune.