Note 053
Hello, October. 🍂
Here we are.
The weather is changing, the leaves are starting to change colors, and suddenly it feels like fall is really here.
The sweaters are coming out.
The boots are coming back into rotation.
Pumpkin patches are popping up.
Fall festivals are happening.
Halloween decorations are going up.
People are making plans, pulling out recipes, baking, cooking, shopping, decorating, and starting to think about the holidays that are somehow right around the corner.
And before we get too caught up in everything that’s coming, I want to take a moment to say:
Hello, October.
And welcome to another season.
A Few Notes From September
Before we jump completely into a new month, let’s look back at a few notes that resonated the most with Overthinkers Notes readers last month.
These were the top five most-viewed notes from September:
1. 50 Mental Sticky Notes for Life
Fifty little reminders for the days when you need a little perspective, encouragement, or simply a reminder to give yourself some grace.
READ THE NOTE → A Note From the Resident Overthinker: 50 Mental Sticky Notes for Life
2. Those Feelings Aren’t Yours
Someone else’s fear, anxiety, frustration, or opinion doesn’t automatically have to become yours. You can care about what someone else is feeling without taking it on as your own.
READ THE NOTE → A Note From the Resident Overthinker: Those Are Their Feelings, Not Yours
3. Be Careful Who You Take Advice From
Not every person who has an opinion has the experience to guide you where you’re trying to go. Sometimes the best advice comes from someone who has actually walked the road you’re considering.
READ THE NOTE → A Note From the Resident Overthinker: Be Careful Who You Take Advice From
4. Don’t Rush Through Life
Just because everyone else seems to be moving faster doesn’t mean you need to. Your life isn’t on anyone else’s timeline.
READ THE NOTE → A Note From the Resident Overthinker: Don’t Rush Through Life
5. Be Brave Enough to Start Something New
You don’t have to be good at something before you begin. Sometimes you simply have to be brave enough to be a beginner.
READ THE NOTE → A Note From the Resident Overthinker: Be Brave Enough to Be Bad at Something New
If you missed any of these, October might be a good time to go back and read them.
Because sometimes we read something at one point in our lives and don’t think much of it.
Then a few weeks later, we experience something that makes the exact same words hit differently.
That’s one of my favorite things about these notes.
The lesson can stay the same while we change.
Now Let’s Talk About October
I love the way the seasons remind us that change is normal.
The leaves don’t hold on forever.
They change color.
They become beautiful in a completely different way.
And then eventually…
they let go.
There’s something in that for us.
Sometimes we spend so much time trying to hold on to things that are making us heavy.
Old expectations.
Old disappointments.
Old versions of ourselves.
Old relationships.
Old habits.
Old ideas about how our lives were supposed to look by now.
Old failures we keep replaying.
Things we thought would work out but didn’t.
Plans that changed.
Doors that closed.
And maybe October can be a reminder that it’s okay to let some things fall away.
Not Everything That Didn’t Work Out Was a Failure.
I think we put too much pressure on ourselves to make everything work.
We start something.
We try something.
We make a plan.
We have an expectation.
And when it doesn’t turn out the way we imagined, we immediately call it a failure.
But what if it wasn’t?
What if it was information?
What if it taught you something you needed to know?
What if it showed you what you don’t want?
What if it introduced you to a version of yourself you didn’t know existed?
What if the lesson was the part you were supposed to keep?
You don’t have to pretend something didn’t hurt.
You don’t have to pretend you weren’t disappointed.
You don’t have to call something a blessing while you’re still trying to understand what happened.
But eventually, you can ask:
What can I take from this?
And then you can leave the rest behind.
A New Season Doesn’t Require a Perfect Life.
This might be my biggest reminder for October.
Please don’t wait until everything is figured out before you enjoy your life.
Go to the pumpkin patch.
Wear the boots.
Put on the sweater.
Go to the festival.
Bake the cake.
Make the soup.
Decorate the house.
Take the picture.
Laugh with your friends.
Go to the Halloween party.
Watch the scary movie.
Buy the pumpkin.
Take the walk.
Enjoy the changing leaves.
Make the memories.
Even if your life isn’t exactly where you want it to be.
You can be working on your finances and still enjoy dinner with your family.
You can be figuring out your career and still have fun.
You can be healing from something and still laugh.
You can be disappointed about one part of your life and grateful for another.
You can be rebuilding and still enjoy the view.
You don’t have to put your entire life on hold until everything is perfect.
Because let’s be honest…
When is everything ever completely finished?
There’s always something we’re working on.
Something we’re saving for.
Something we’re trying to improve.
Something we’re waiting for.
Something we’re worried about.
Something we’re planning.
And if we keep waiting for the perfect moment to enjoy ourselves, we may miss a whole lot of perfectly good moments.
So, October…
I’m not asking you to reinvent yourself this month.
I’m not giving you a 30-day challenge.
I’m not telling you to wake up at 5 a.m., drink green juice, journal for an hour, and become a completely different person before Halloween.
I’m simply suggesting that we notice the season we’re in.
Notice what is changing.
Notice what you’ve learned.
Notice what you’re carrying.
Notice what has become too heavy.
Notice what needs to be released.
And notice what is still good.
Because just like the leaves…
we are allowed to change.
We are allowed to shed.
We are allowed to make room.
We are allowed to begin again.
And we’re allowed to enjoy ourselves while we’re doing it.
Your October Reminder
This month, I hope you give yourself permission to embrace the season you’re in.
Don’t spend so much time worrying about what’s next that you miss what’s happening right now.
Don’t let an imperfect year convince you that you can’t have a beautiful October.
Don’t let something that didn’t work out convince you that you failed.
Take the lesson.
Keep what made you wiser.
Release what is making you heavier.
And then…
keep living.
Because the leaves are changing.
The season is changing.
And maybe you are changing too.
And that’s okay.
Actually…
that’s life.
A Note for Today
As October begins, ask yourself:
What am I ready to let go of?
What lesson am I taking with me?
What am I ready to embrace?
And perhaps most importantly:
What can I enjoy right now, even though everything isn’t perfect?
You don’t need a perfect life to enjoy a beautiful season.
You just need to be present enough to notice it.
Happy October, Overthinkers. 🍂
Here’s to changing seasons, changing perspectives, letting go of what weighs us down, and making room for something new.
Until the next note,
Your Resident Overthinker 🤎