According to Merriam-Webster
Definition of deciduousÂ
biology : falling off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle.
When I chose the logo for Coaching with Candi, I didn't have the exact biological term for the design. In fact, ask me to pronounce deciduous right now and I'll stumble and eventually get it right. What I knew, when I chose the bent tree with bare branches was there are many people who feel that is who they are. Bent, shedding, baring little to no fruit..empty. When I started to really study the word deciduous, the internet had me to explore the autumn season and the term "fall" and why the leaves fall from the trees.
As I began to explore the season of fall, I was immediately moved by the revelation that the leaves actually take a proactive approach to the shedding process. See they aren't new to the season and they understand damage will happen, I mean it is part of the biological timeclock so rather than wait for the damage, they shed. It is a survival mechanism of sorts. Unfavorable weather is coming, so the shedding helps the trees and provides protection for new growth.
Did you catch that? Let me make it make sense to YOU. What if I told you that YOU are not broken beyond repair, YOU are not bent beyond healing, you are simply shedding and making way for new growth. And you may shed again and again. As a matter of fact, you may have several personal seasons of shedding, much of life is beyond our immediate control, just as the biological time-clock of the seasons.
But when leaves fall, what do most of us do? We rake them up right? Now you don't have to...I mean, unless the leaves are super heavy, they won't kill the lawn. In fact, more than likely nature will take its course...but why do most of us rake the leaves when they fall? I mean, I know if I rake the leaves, I pick up the pieces of paper, trash that perhaps blew onto my lawn from the neighbor, fallen limbs, other debris. I mean, I typically clean it ALL, not just the leaves. I don't know about you, but I don't like to wait for my lawn to appear sightly. I understand that my lawn will never be appealing to my eye or appear well maintained if I only do part of the work it takes to maintain it.
I need you to let that sink into your mind and sync with your spirit.
I know exactly what it is like to be broken, bent, empty, bare, exposed. I also know that after the shedding, I made way for new growth. I know what it is like to be completely unprepared for a life changing situation, I also know what it means to proactively shed dead weight that was going to crush my spirit if I let it. I can also tell you that keeping myself maintained and clear of fallen leaves, debris and trash is ongoing, because guess what, Seasons Change.
What I found to be so profound was the more I read the more I could relate and now, I hope that you can as well. Coaching with Candi is an experience. I plan to share my life lessons, my journey with you. The good parts, the really ugly parts and all that stuff in between because I view it all now as shedding and making way for new growth.
I want you to know, no matter where you are in your life right now, you are exactly where you need to be and I'm glad we found each other. Life is a journey and I don't consider myself anything other than a willing companion.
Coaching with Candi: Where Healing Happens