From Falling Leaves to Fresh Perspective: A Morning of Aha Moments
Yesterday was full of aha moments.
It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t in a podcast or a book.
It happened while I was doing something as ordinary as driving my daughter to kinder on my way to work.
As we are deep in autumn and just about to transition into winter here in Australia, the trees are doing what they do best this time of year — shedding.
Leaves are turning a variety of rich colours as they flutter gently to the ground, carpeting nature’s floor with beauty and quiet transformation.
As we were driving, my four-year-old daughter looked out the window and asked:
“Mum, why are some leaves orange, some are red, and some are brown?”
I paused for a moment, then answered:
“Because it’s autumn, darling. Some of the leaves turn that colour and fall off to make room for new ones to grow in another season. It’s the circle of life. Some things have to die out to make space for something new to grow.”
Her little “ohhh” of wonder was sweet —
but what followed was even more profound.
This image of Honour Avenue, Macedon is captured by the talented Lauren Fowler https://www.lmfowlerphotography.com/
That single moment, that innocent question, sparked something in me.
I started thinking about life… about marriage… about relationships… and about society.
It’s kind of the same, isn’t it?
We go through our own seasons.
There are times we have to let old beliefs within ourselves — or within our relationships — fall away.
Just like those autumn leaves, these beliefs may have served a purpose once.
But to make space for something new, something healthier, something more aligned with who we are becoming… we need to let them go.
Sometimes, old friendships or connections might wither for a season.
It doesn’t mean they’re gone forever.
Some regrow in another time, in a new form.
Some don’t — and that’s okay too.
Every falling leaf has its purpose.
And it’s not just in our relationships — it happens in our careers too.
Sometimes an old chapter has to come to a close in order for a new one to emerge.
Whether it’s a shift in purpose, a change in direction, or a deep calling toward something more meaningful — the letting go is part of the becoming.
These thoughts led me to reflect on broader issues too. Like the Victorian State Government’s decision to introduce its 60th new tax, which includes levies now burdening farmers and landowners under the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund.
At a time when people are already doing it tough, it feels like a season where relief is needed and not more pressure.
Victorians deserve a break — not just financially, but emotionally and mentally too.
Just like the trees in autumn let go of their leaves to rest before blooming again, we need time and space to recover before being asked to give more.
There is wisdom in rest.
In reprieve.
In not constantly piling more on.
That brings me to a recent video I watched of Kerry Packer in a parliamentary hearing back in 1991.
He suggested that when governments make new laws, they should also look at which old ones can be repealed — removed — to avoid unnecessary buildup.
His point was clear:
Don’t just keep stacking rules on top of rules.
Clear out the clutter.
Make room.
Let what no longer serves fall away.
There it is again — the wisdom of seasons.
Whether it’s government policy, personal growth, or professional transitions, the truth remains the same: We can’t keep piling on new layers without clearing the outdated, the expired, the worn out.
Change doesn’t always have to be big, loud, or fast.
Sometimes, the most powerful transformations can happen quietly —
like a question from a fresh and innocent little voice from the backseat of my car on an autumn morning.
So here’s to the leaves that fall.
To the beliefs we shed.
To the careers that evolve.
To the connections that return in new seasons.
To the wisdom hidden in the ordinary.
To the people who deserve a little rest before blooming again.
And to the aha moments that remind us:
Letting go isn’t an end.
It’s making space for something new to grow.
Photo by my cousin – Mark Anthony Arago. Mark supports my sister in managing her airbnb suite in the Philppines . Casa Aya – https://www.facebook.com/share/1EvrmgBDPj/
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