As the beauty of spring is blooming all around me, I reflect back on the force with which winter cleared it’s excess to make room for the incredible growth. The winter storms this past season brought a violent uprooting of trees, limbs and terrain. Talk about letting go!

What does this mean for us? Nature’s dramatic changes can inspire us to let go. If we were to remove our excess, how magnificently could we bloom?

There are different types of letting go. Sometimes our actual clutter takes up physical space in our lives, which prevents us from moving freely about our homes. This type of clutter not only crowds us, but also takes a toll on our emotional well-being. When we allow ourselves to clear our spaces and release the excess possessions, papers and “stuff,” we begin to create room for what we actually desire. We breathe better, feel lighter, calmer and happier.

Sometimes letting go has to do less with physical possessions but more with negative thoughts or beliefs that hold us back. When we feed ourselves negative messages like “I am incapable of being organized” or “I am a total disaster,” these limiting beliefs prevent us from moving forward. When we decide to let go of the negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones, we create possibilities for wonderful changes.

There is another kind of letting go. Are you holding someone so tightly that you are stifling both his or her growth and yours? We cannot control everything or everyone. When we feel the need to control people, be it our children, spouses, friends or others, not only does it prevent them from thriving but it also holds us back. It takes much more energy to hold on then it does to let go.

The chaos and disarray of the winter storms have given way to the clearing of the landscape and bountiful growth of spring. As I look outside, I am acutely aware how nature’s severe pruning while disturbing, was essential. Growth comes out of discomfort and struggle. Letting go may not be easy, but it can be life altering in a positive way. Release your excess and delight in what transpires!

Yesterday marked the first day of spring. And oh what a magnificent day it was! I had a mongo list of things left to do from the previous day, and figured I’d have all day Saturday to check things off. I woke up with good intentions of getting things done. However, the day unfolded differently than I planned.

After breakfast, I looked outside, just to smell the air and appreciate spring’s arrival. There sat the pansies I purchased the day before, waiting to be planted. It was so gorgeous out, that the thought of working inside at my computer seemed ridiculous. So, I grabbed my gardening tools and decided that the next thing I’d do was to plant the flowers. What a great sensation it was to dig in the dirt, touch the plants, submerse them in the soil and water them!

Being outside in the warm sun, getting dirty and smelling the earth made me feel connected to all the other gardeners and growers. I thought about my grandmother who loved to garden and took such pleasure in her flowers and vegetables. When I’d visit her, she’d give me a big bear hug, firmly take my hand and say, “Come! Let me show you the garden.” We’d go out back and with such joy we’d walk through her garden. She had me touch, smell and see all that was blooming.

After planting the pansies and stepping back to appreciate their vibrant colors and whimsy, I went back inside to do some work. It was hard to concentrate after enjoying the spring air. I worked for a bit until it was time for lunch. This presented another opportunity to be outside. So, I gathered up my food and positioned myself in the sun. This had a calming effect. Things were mostly quiet except for the chirping of birds and distant buzzing of a power saw. After eating, I just sat and wrote. The calm I felt reminded me of similar feelings experienced on vacations. I was relaxed and didn’t want to move.

The rest of the day had a loose feel to it. You may have already guessed it, but I abandoned “the list” yesterday. I decided that my next step was to simply savor the magnificent day. Work could wait because the day was too good to ignore. Spring had arrived and I opted to delight in it. The choice gave me time to plant our flowers, write while sitting in the sun, and enjoy a walk and ice cream with my daughter.

So today is another gorgeous day! My big list is still before me. I will choose the next thing on it to accomplish and then stick my head outside. Who knows where that might take me?

It’s not spring yet, but our crocuses have poked their way through the earth. We still have snow on the ground and they’ve decided it’s time to appear. Each year, from the time our girls have been small, we’ve always made a big deal about noticing the arrival of the crocuses. We see them come up outside our back window. That first sighting makes us so happy.

Why such excitement? Partly, the noticing of them has become a family tradition. Who will spot them first? Also, their arrival reminds us that winter is ending and spring is imminent.

One of the things that I treasure is the surety with which our purple crocuses burst forth. And even though we know they will come up every year, we are still filled with a sense of awe and hope when we see them.

The crocuses know that it’s time to grow and so they do. It’s their next step. I love the confidence with which they arrive. Wouldn’t it be great if all of us were as confident and sure of our next move?  Their decision has already been made. They know it’s time to wake up and feel the sunshine.

So as the snow melts, clothing gets lighter and greenery begins to surface, why not take your next step with boldness and sureness, just like the crocuses? It’s your time to bloom!

Like many of you, I have an ambitious list of things I’d like to accomplish. Some of these things are small and don’t require much energy. Some however seem so large that it’s not as obvious how they will get done. This can be overwhelming because there are so many choices for moving ahead. Lots of thinking has gone into these goals. For many of us, sometimes the thinking zaps our energy. At other times sometimes it energizes us.

At some point, though, in order for anything to actually happen, action needs to occur. This often begins with the next step. That forward movement can provide the momentum needed to propel us closer to our goal.

So right now for you, what is the one thing you’d like to accomplish? Whatever it’s size, try to determine your next step. Don’t be concerned that you don’t know all the steps. It’s OK to figure that out as you go. This is especially important because you’ll most likely need to make adjustments and be flexible along the way. In addition, if you let yourself get too detailed at the beginning, that detail could paralyze you from taking any action.

Just have enough of an idea of what you’re moving towards. Then pick one thing to bring you closer to that goal. See what happens when you do that. Keep going with the next step, the next and then another. Before you know it, you’ll be entrenched in the pursuit of your goal. You’ll be learning as you go and making new decisions along the way. You are no longer just thinking. You are now taking action.

As Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step.”