Gathering What Matters Most

October Wisdom Blog Series – Week 2

October always reminds me that not everything grown in a season is meant to be stored away. Farmers don’t keep every stalk, every leaf, every weed that sprouted in the field. They gather what’s nourishing, what will sustain them through winter, and they let the rest go.

It’s a powerful metaphor for midlife—and for life after loss.

Sorting the Harvest of Our Lives

By this stage of life, we’ve lived through enough to know that not everything deserves a place in the barn of our hearts. Some things weigh us down, like:

• People-pleasing that leaves us exhausted.

• Old regrets we keep replaying.

• Expectations that no longer fit who we are becoming.

Gathering wisdom means choosing differently. It’s about deciding to keep the parts of our story that nourish us—connection, peace, clarity, resilience—and letting go of the pieces that no longer serve.

What’s Worth Keeping?

I think about the years I spent holding onto “shoulds.” I should be further along. I should keep quiet to keep the peace. I should handle everything myself. Those weren’t fruit; they were weeds. Letting them go created space for something better—trusting my own voice, building healthier boundaries, and asking for help without guilt.

When we gather what matters most, we lighten our load. We free ourselves to carry forward only what will actually sustain us.

A Coaching Perspective

One of the most healing shifts you can make is asking yourself: What am I gathering that nourishes me, and what am I carrying that drains me?

This isn’t about pretending everything was good or ignoring pain. It’s about choosing your harvest with intention. Not everything belongs in the next season.

Reflection Prompt

Take a few minutes to journal on this question:

“If I were harvesting my life right now, what would I keep—and what would I leave in the field?”

Write honestly. Notice what rises up. Sometimes, wisdom is simply the courage to name what you no longer want to carry.

Carrying Wisdom Forward

This October, give yourself permission to sort through the fields of your life. Keep the nourishing fruit: the lessons, the love, the resilience. Leave behind what no longer feeds you.

And if you’d like a place to process those choices with others on a similar path, join us in the Midlife Surprise Society—a free community where wisdom, support, and connection are always in season.

Closing thought: Harvesting wisdom isn’t about keeping everything. It’s about gathering what matters most.