Changing Seasons

April 24, 2020

Written By Alivia Chenoweth, Marketing Manager

When we take the time to sit back and reflect on our lives, we see the stages of transformation that we have gone through in different seasons in our lives. As we near the end of April and the beginning of May, a time of change is about to happen for all of us. Summer is approaching, seniors are graduating, resumes are being built, and jobs are being sought out. There’s a big looming question over so many of our heads of “What’s next?”.

Change is Hard

There is no denying that changing seasons can bring about fear, anxiety, and self-doubt. Even when we know a change is on the horizon, we never truly know how we are going to respond until we’re in the midst of it. The purpose of this blog is to shed some light on the typical habits that happen in each season and hope that this identification empowers you to understand or define your emotional tendencies.

Change is a natural part in each of our lives and is something that has been physiologically proven to impact each and every one of us. Our needs, desires, and behaviors are constantly changing to the natural ebb and flow of these cycles and seasons of our lives.

The term “Seasons” is commonly used in our culture as Liberty students—typically as a biblical term to describe the hard changes in our lives that grow us in our faith and relationship with the Lord. It can also be used to describe positive times in our lives that celebrate joys and new beginnings.

Seasons of Transformation

There is also a physiological use of “seasons” that is interesting to look at and is compared to the actual seasons that we experience here on Earth—spring, summer, fall, and winter. It is academically named “The Seasons of Transformation IQ Matrix,” and each one is linked to different ways that we are affected whether we know it or not. The following are the seasons and their definitions:

Summer – A season for reward, celebration, and fulfillment.

  • Throughout this time, you may find yourself traveling, leisure, accomplishing goals and objectives, taking risks, taking proactive action, expanding your comfort zone, and thinking creatively, proactively and optimistically.

Autumn – A season for survival, mistakes, and problems.

  • Throughout this time, you may find yourself avoiding responsibility, contracting your comfort zone, hesitating, thinking unrealistically, ineffectively and pessimistically.

Winter – A season for reflection, hibernation, and planning.

  • During this time, you may find yourself time for finding inner peace and solitude, time for bonding with family, friends and loved ones, time for journaling thoughts and feelings, time for thinking critically, realistically, problematically and thoughtfully about Life.

Spring – A season for learning, opportunity and dynamic thinking.

  • During this season, you may find yourself developing new skills, habits and social contacts, altering personal mindsets, expanding knowledge, options, and opportunities, setting goals, and thinking strategically, tactically, and insightfully

Self-Awareness and Growth

    An important thing to note is that no matter what season of life you are in, these seasons continually cycle through, and a new one will approach. How we choose to handle these life transformations will grow us as a person mentally, spiritually, and physically. Having people in our lives that will constantly push us to do our best and keep us accountable is essential to healthy, well-rounded growth.

    Something that I have found helpful to do is ask myself these three questions as I realize that change is happening in my life.

    1. Which season am I currently experiencing?
    2. How have the seasons I have walked through shaped my character and more specifically my relationship with the Lord?
    3. How am I going to use this knowledge and character shift to prepare myself for the season to come?

    If you are going through a time where you are asking yourself the big “What’s next?” question, know that this season is temporary. Maybe that internship you were banking on just got cancelled, or you are graduating and the job search keeps coming up dry. But, He works all things together for His good. You cycle through the seasons for times of learning and growth, so it is important to acknowledge that and take advantage of it as much as you can.

    If you are heading into a new and exciting time of your life – congrats! There will be so many tough challenges ahead I am sure, but they are ones that will shape your life forever. Always make sure to have people around to keep you accountable physically, mentally, and spiritually to continue growing, and best of luck with this new stage in your life!

    Interested in more information on The Seasons of Transformation IQ Matrix? Visit this website to learn more! https://blog.iqmatrix.com/seasons-of-transformation