It's time to feel more alive again
Spring as an invitation, not performance pressure
Spring cleaning in our homes and hearts is not a new concept. It’s a practice rooted in thousands of years of history1, which I think is just so fascinating. How can something as simple as cleaning more thoroughly in a certain season stay relevant when so much else in history comes and goes?
But beyond the rituals, don’t we also feel it intrinsically in our bodies? That desire to shed layers and start anew at some point in spring?
You might roll your eyes thinking “Carmen, we’re already in mid-May! I’ve done 10 detoxes and 5 spring cleans this year already; why are you still talking about a reset?”
Don’t worry, we have dust allergies in our household, so we spring clean every week, and I rather not spend another second thinking about cleaning 😂
For me, the urge for a reset is deeper.
What I’m craving is something different: more of a reassessment right now.
A (re)turn to intention.
I want to feel more alive and aligned with who I am and want to become this year. Less hurried. Less caught up in things that won’t matter in five years (aka everyday drama on the internet or in our families).
We’re human beings, not human doings. And I want to embody that even more fully this year. No pressure to perform according to other people’s standards, no pressure to be in a certain way or place, and no pressure to have already achieved XYZ because we’re almost halfway through 2025.
And honestly, for my writing, I desire a reset and return to intention & aliveness, too.
I think I’m not alone when I say I feel general digital exhaustion across the board.
The thing is, I don’t enjoy sitting in a niche – I’m not a content bucket. I am not here for hacks either, they certainly don’t make anyone feel alive. I am here for the hearts and I hope this has been obvious all along. 🫶
Because I don’t just brain-dump words on a page but put a lot of effort into editing (English is not my first language), what I write needs to feel alive for you and me. Bring joy, nourishment or inspiration. So naturally, I want to reassess what is truly worth sharing while I continue to master this art and not give in to AI perfectionism.
Maybe that’s why I’m working on a new series (see further below)…
One thing is certain: Growth isn’t linear. It moves in waves. And waves keep all waters alive.
In Change Management and Transformation Consulting & Coaching, we talk a lot about this. Constant forward and upward motion is neither sustainable nor realistic. And I think we need times of fallow, slowness and reflection to regain strength as we grow, even when they may look like small setbacks from the outside.
And yes, that can also be in spring, heck it can be in spring-summer or summer. Maybe spring isn't this sharp finish line of winter requiring a jump start from everyone at the same time. Just because the sun’s out doesn’t mean we’re suddenly renewed or need to put pressure on ourselves to hustle from dusk to dawn to achieve all of what we set out to do.
I try to see this season more as an invitation. And the nature of invitations is that we can choose if and when we accept them.
In your hands, you hold an invitation right there right now, a nudge to realign with what matters, what brings joy without the pressure of having every next step figured out.
Sharing a few lines from a recent journal entry with you in case you need to hear this, too:
Say it after me if it resonates…
I don’t need to prove my aliveness with productivity or many weekend plans.
I don’t need to rush my becoming and can pause to reassess if the direction I’m taking still feels aligned.
I am allowed to renew and reset on my terms at my own pace.
Some introspective reflection points that I come back to over and over again right now
What ideas, habits or behaviours have I outgrown that I’m still carrying?
Where in my life am I craving spaciousness and what small action can I take to feel different in that area?
What kind of nourishment – mental, emotional, spiritual – am I really needing so I feel more alive again?
I think more often than not we have a choice. Even though it may first look like there aren’t any options. When we pause and not panic, opportunities arise, ones we hadn’t even considered at first. It’s quite something to just sit and observe things and resist the urge to rush for a moment longer than we normally do. Magic is awaiting you as soon as there is intention! I promise.
I’d love to hear in the comments, what are you reflecting on or craving this season. Are you feeling alive right now?
What you may have missed and will enjoy reading
Exciting updates!
My interview series, The Village Chats or maybe I call it VillageHer or something entirely different, is taking shape and form. The first few women have confirmed and I cannot wait to launch it in a few weeks once I have a backlog to post without stress.
See you soon, Carmen x
Interested in 1:1 mentoring/coaching or just a chat to transform this season? I give one monthly session away for free, for no other person than that I love this online community! More here That said, I will end this offering for the summer to create more spaciousness in my life.
Celebrations like Celtic Imbolg, Persian Nowruz, and Jewish Pesach (in February and March) have paved the way across geographies and cultures.
Beautiful reflections 🌿✨
Yes! I saved your post to return to another day and I’m amazed at the timing, almost a month later. At the beginning of May, I wrote down the word, “reset”! I so longed for a nice, smooth recalibration but the month was chaotic. So, I let the reset be messy. And continual. “What kind of nourishment – mental, emotional, spiritual – am I really needing so I feel more alive again?” <- Yes, yes, yes. Thank you. For every day. In every season.