Seasons Change
How would you describe the season of life you're in—progress or patience?
A new school year has begun. There is energy, excitement, and that familiar feeling that we're moving forward.
This week, I dropped my son off at college as he begins his second year. My youngest daughter started eighth grade at a new school. My oldest son is doing extremely well, running two businesses while raising a beautiful family. My other daughter started a new position and is planning her wedding for next spring.
Each of them is in a different season of life.
And that's true for all of us.
Sometimes progress feels obvious. We can see the results of the work we've put in. Other times, progress feels painfully slow. The things we've worked hard for aren't producing the results we expected, and sometimes our greatest accomplishment is simply getting through the day.
Yet, we're still moving forward.
We often think growth should always look like progress. But sometimes growth looks like patience.
Sometimes it looks like waiting.
Sometimes it looks like adjusting.
And sometimes, if we're being honest, growth looks like surviving.
Not Every Season Looks the Same
As a new school year begins, I think this is an important message for educators—and perhaps for all of us.
August brings a particular kind of pressure: new classrooms, new expectations, new students, new goals, and the feeling that everything needs to be figured out immediately.
But we can't always control the season we're in.
We can control how we respond to it, what we learn from it, and whether we're willing to trust that the season will eventually change.
Not every season of life is a season of visible progress.
Sometimes the work is simply staying faithful to the process until the next season arrives.
Sometimes we're learning.
Sometimes we're healing.
Sometimes we're preparing.
And sometimes we're simply surviving.
That doesn't mean we're failing.
It means we're human.
How Do You Define Success?
How would you define success in your life?
Is it a promotion? A financial goal? A healthier lifestyle? A degree? A new position? Accomplishing something you've worked toward for years?
Those things matter. But success can look very different depending on the season we're in.
Each season of life doesn't move at the same pace. Yet we often expect constant progress. We want to see the results of our hard work quickly.
But life doesn't always work that way.
There are seasons of planting, seasons of waiting, seasons of harvesting—and seasons when it seems like nothing is happening.
The challenge is learning to recognize the season we're in rather than becoming frustrated because we're not experiencing the results of another season.
Teachers Understand Seasons
Teachers understand this better than most people.
A teacher can spend months investing in a student without seeing much change. Then one day, something clicks.
The student finally understands the concept.
Confidence begins to grow.
The student takes ownership.
The teacher finally sees the fruit of months—or even years—of planting.
That's a great picture of life.
Just because you don't see growth doesn't mean growth isn't happening.
Some of the most important work happening in our lives happens beneath the surface.
Give Yourself Permission to Be Where You Are
As we begin another school year, everyone is talking about fresh starts, new goals, new energy, and new opportunities.
But the first week can also be exhausting.
Some of us are carrying disappointments from last year. Some are questioning whether we still have what it takes. Some are facing changes we didn't ask for. And some may simply be trying to get through another year.
We need to give ourselves permission to acknowledge where we are without judging ourselves for it.
You don't have to pretend you're in spring when you're experiencing winter.
Patience is not passivity.
Trusting the process doesn't mean sitting back and doing nothing.
You still prepare.
You still show up.
You still adjust.
You still plant seeds.
But you also understand that you cannot control the timing of the harvest.
That's true for teachers, parents, careers, relationships, personal development, and almost every meaningful thing in life.
Stop Comparing Seasons
Don't compare your season to someone else's.
Someone may be having an incredible year while another person is struggling.
Someone may be advancing in their career while another is trying to figure out what's next.
Someone may feel like they're finally getting their life together while someone else is simply trying to make it through the week.
Comparison makes us believe we're behind.
But behind whom?
We are all in different seasons of life. We aren't all standing in the same place, facing the same circumstances, or working toward the same things.
I've talked about comparison throughout several of my previous posts, and I'll continue to come back to it:
Stop comparing your life, your circumstances, or your goals to someone else's.
Your season is yours.
Winter Doesn't Last Forever
Winter can feel long.
But winter isn't permanent.
A tree doesn't have to force spring to arrive. It simply has to endure the season and be ready when the conditions change.
Your current season is not your permanent destination.
Maybe you're in a season of growth.
Maybe you're in a season of preparation.
Maybe you're waiting for something you've worked hard for.
Maybe you're healing from something that took more out of you than you expected.
Or maybe you're simply trying to make it through a difficult season.
Whatever season you're in, don't add unnecessary pressure by believing you should be somewhere else.
Instead, ask yourself:
How would I define success in the season I'm currently in?
Where do I need to give myself permission to be patient?
How has comparison hindered my growth?
How do I respond when I fall short of a goal?
What might this season be teaching me?
That last question may be the most important one.
Perhaps the question isn't, "Why aren't I further along?"
Perhaps the better question is:
"What is this season trying to teach me?"
Keep showing up.
Keep planting seeds.
Keep learning.
Keep making the small adjustments that move you forward.
You may not see the growth today. You may not see it tomorrow. But that doesn't mean nothing is happening.
Some growth happens where we can see it.
Some happens where we can't.
And some seasons are not about producing a harvest at all. They're about preparing us for the one that's coming.
Winter doesn't last forever.
Trust the process. Give yourself patience. Keep moving forward.
Because seasons change.
And when the next season arrives, you'll be better prepared for what comes next.
~
Steve Bucks
