As the end of the school year approached and a couple of my school-related volunteer jobs were winding down, I started thinking about what additional productive things I could do this summer. I could work on my life coaching business, such as developing new programs and making new contacts. I could attack some cleaning and clearing out projects around the house. I could even jump into trying some new gluten-free recipes that I have been saving and searching for online.
The possibilities were endless.
Strangely, none of these possibilities really lit me up. I just couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do. I took advantage of a trip to Washington, DC to take a time out, do some sightseeing, visit with family, meet in-person with my own coach (a real treat!), and do some quiet time journaling. Out of all the possibilities I was ruminating about, the thought of taking a break from thinking and doing this summer sounded the best.
What a liberating thought! So that is what I have been doing. I also decided to do some things just for fun.
The fun things have included spending more quality time with my grandchildren and taking riding lessons after many, many years. Every time I think about trying a new recipe, I discover that either I have something else planned to do or I just don’t feel like doing it.
Not sure why, but at the moment, I am just going with the flow.
Now you may be at a crossroads this summer yourself- trying to figure out what’s next. why things are working or not working, what went right or wrong, or what your purpose is in life. Conversely, you may have the opportunity to spend more time with kids and grandkids, go for a swim or go to the beach or mountains.
How can these activities intersect?
Well, you may just need to take a break. I am discovering that in letting go and taking a break, you open up your mind and spirit to enlightenment, solutions, and ideas that start flowing. When the obsessive thoughts start descend, you consciously say to yourself, “I’m not going to think about that right now,” and just move on to what feels good. When your kids or grandkids are watching a video, maybe take a few minutes to reflect in a journal, read a little in a fun summer book or just sit down and relax instead of “doing.”
Maybe I am not being “productive”, but maybe, in the long run, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am savoring the moment and letting Spirit lead me.
So I ask you, how can you take a break this summer?
Jane Springer is a certified Life, Wellness and Style Coach who assists women in taking care of themselves, in body, mind and spirit. She coaches women who want to lose weight, avoid diabetes, and feel great. She also helps them thrive after divorce. She also helps them to clear their closets of old clothes and outdated attitudes, so they can shine and feel confident.