The season of rebirth

Spring has sprung! Well, spring has sprung figuratively, if not literally. But the best way to help it along is to actually spring into action. Now is the time to tackle all of those projects you've been putting off since the end of last summer. Heck, there's probably even a few you've been putting off since the summer before last, or the one before that, or – well, you get the point.
It's understandable. You're busy, you're booked, your time is at a premium. The kids keep you swamped. The job's not letting up. You're consumed with selecting just the right ensembles for the rest of 2005's circuit party selections and promising Pride season. It's difficult to tell which is longer at this point – your "to do" list or your list of reasons for not doing any of the things on it.
Why not throw them both away and start fresh? That is, after all, what spring is all about. It's a fresh start, a time to renew, the season of rebirth. No other season on the calendar holds such promise, such hope. As the whipping winter wind undergoes a miraculous metamorphosis and transforms itself into a mild spring breeze, you can practically feel the potential in the air.
So what's the first step in enjoying spring? Getting out there in it and experiencing it, feeling it, living it. Let the metaphysical interpretation of spring inspire you to great heights of practical productivity.
It's the time to tackle those projects, but skip the list. Pick one that needs to be done and get busy doing it. After you've finished, then look to the next. And after a few, when you're really sure that a "to do" list will actually be a helpful tool and not just a hindrance to your progress, then create one.
As you do – both for your general health and well being as well as inspiration to keep your productivity level rising – it's a good idea to rotate line items. For every task on your list that you're dreading, don't be afraid to add one you can look forward to. Reward yourself in ways that are likely to inspire you to keep up the good work. Make sure, though, that the rewards you list are, indeed, likely to keep you going and not apt to let you surrender to laziness. For example, after you clean out the gutters, go for a brisk walk. Or if you need to slow down, it's okay to schedule time to read a book after you've cleaned out the garage, but read it in the hammock out back, not in the house.
So often, we only notice how beautiful spring is on our way from the house to the car, or from the car into the office. We witness its fleeting beauty only in passing, as a spectator and not an active participant. This spring season, we encourage you to experience the season as fully as you can. Even if the chores on your list need to be done in the house, reward yourself with time outside of it.
There's a lot to be learned from the example of nature. In fact, the change of seasons exists in part to provide us with just that: an example. Now is the time to grow new opportunities and cultivate positive change. Let the grass, trees and lovely flowers stand as witness to the power of regeneration and take some time to focus on your own growth and the direction you want to go. Be a full participant in the magnificent experience that is the season of rebirth.