routine vs. possibility?

As the mornings get cooler here in Philadelphia we know the season is truly shifting. The energy and chaos of September has begun to settle. My mother has a wonderful mantra for this time of year. “September’s chaos become October’s routine.” I can feel deep in my bones the resignation that summer is now officially over and I’m ready to shift my activities.  It feels nice to settle into the more internal reflection that the fall and winter bring for me.

It’s been hard to imagine adjusting to the “new routine” of having one less kid around. Last week as I moved some things in my home to fill some of the newly available space, I’m feeling that this change also will reveal new possibilities.

Last week as I was preparing for a program I revisited one of my favorite books, The Art of Possibility. It’s a curious juxtaposition thinking about routine and the structure of that with the open mindset needed to see new possibilities. For many years I resisted routine because it felt limiting. And routine thinking can catch me in frames of mind that keep me stuck.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that routines for some things, like paying bills, where things go in my home and a regular yoga practice actually help me be open to new possibilities. It sounds a bit silly now but it again proved the need for the yin and yang, balance between what appear to be opposites. It has been a practice to keep the balance between these two.

As we slip into October, what needs a routine for you to be open to possibilities?