Returning to the Path

The first days of December arrive with a certain weight. The year has been long, and the nights grow longer still. It’s easy to feel slowed, even stalled, as though the spark that carried us through earlier seasons has dimmed. Yet this is also the moment to pause, to breathe, and to remember that the path is still here, waiting for us to step back onto it.

When I feel myself drifting, I return through small rituals—simple acts that remind me of presence and possibility:

• Light a Candle: A single flame can shift the atmosphere of a room. As it flickers, I imagine it rekindling my own inner fire.

• Breathe with Intention: Three slow breaths, in and out, grounding me in this moment. Each inhale a reminder of renewal, each exhale a gentle release.

• Write One Line: Not a full page, not a polished thought, just one line in a journal. A seed of expression that may grow in its own time.

• Step Outside: Even in the chill, the air carries clarity. Bare branches, crisp skies, and the hush of winter remind me that stillness is not emptiness, it is preparation.

Returning to the path doesn’t require grand gestures. It asks only that we take one step, then another. That we trust the way forward will reveal itself as we move.

This week, I invite you to notice where your own path has grown quiet, and to choose one small act that helps you return. The season may be dark, but within it lies the promise of light—and the strength to begin again.