Get Your Health, Sanity and Fun Back This Summer
by Marci Shimoff
Do you remember those summers when you were a kid? Did you have fun, were they filled with adventure and did you go back to school feeling recharged?
Have you noticed that as an adult, your summers fly by, and they just aren’t as juicy and memorable? Well, let’s make sure that doesn’t happen this summer.
Summer is supposed to be fun and rejuvenating. But that doesn’t just happen on its own. We have to put some attention on it, if we want to make this a fabulous summer.
So, I’m creating “The Selfish Summer Challenge.” Wanna play?
Now, before your feathers get ruffled over the word selfish, let me assure you that in creating a summer for yourself that you’ll never forget, you won’t be leaving your friends and family out in the cold-you’ll be able to give to them from a more warm and fulfilled place.
How do you step into a feel-good summer? By opening up to new experiences and adventures.
The other day, I was thinking about one of my favorite summers. It was the first time I went away to summer camp, and on the second day there, I was so miserable that I called my parents begging them to come pick me up. Being the wise and experienced parents that they were, they didn’t succumb to my pleas. Even my last resort guilt tactic of “if you loved me, you’d come get me” didn’t work. They knew my discomfort would pass, and I would end up having a blast. They were right!
The fastest path to renewal and fun is to open to new experiences, venture into new territory – stretch. By doing so, your brain will create new neural pathways that will support your ongoing happiness.
Here are the 4 steps to play The Selfish Summer Challenge. Some steps may feel easy to do and some may feel uncomfortable. Play with all of the steps, no matter what your initial reaction is:
1. Take a mini-adventure every week. Each week have one novel, interesting, out-of-the ordinary excursion-something that you don’t normally do. Break out of your routine and find an adventure that ignites your passion or brings you joy, even if those around you roll their eyes. Go to an art exhibit if you haven’t been to one in years, camp out in your back yard for a night, explore a local landmark in a new way. (For example, I’ve never walked across the Golden Gate bridge though I’ve lived next to it much of my life and I drive across it every week-I’ll do that by the end of this summer and report back to you with photo evidence.)
2. Give time to your body. Our bodies need loving attention and lots of movement. Take at least 9 minutes each day to care for your body-walk, do qi gong, dance, take a salt bath-whatever will feel good to you. I just finished a 100-day qigong practice, following along to a YouTube video that took 9 minutes each day. At first, I thought I was too busy to the practice every day, and there was no way I’d complete it. But I stuck with it and now that I’ve completed it, I feel energized and rejuvenated, and I know that I can carve 9 minutes out of each day. I’m going to switch to a different practice for the summer, but I’m keeping those 9 minutes for my body. They’re mine.
3. Do the great-fullness practice. Pick a theme for each day, for example, water, and any time you see water during the day, use it as a cue to experience gratefulness in that moment. Each day, pick a new theme. I learned this exercise from an 86 year-old-Benedictine monk named Brother David Steindl-Rast, who is one of the happiest people I’ve ever met. I tell a great story about him and describe the practice in more detail in my book, Happy for No Reason.
4. Take a summer class. Sign up for flower arranging, improvisation, salsa dance, nude figure drawing, pantomime-whatever sings to you. This is a chance to take action on something you’ve wanted to do for a while and move out of your comfort zone.
Remember, even though it’s called The Selfish Summer Challenge, the idea is to have fun. And please let me know how you’re doing with your “selfish summer” on my Facebook page here.
Here’s to creating a summer you’ll never forget!
With Love for No Reason and Every Reason,
Marci Shimoff is a celebrated transformational leader
and #1 New York Timesbest-selling author. To learn
more of her powerful techniques for establishing deep
and authentic happiness and well-being, visit
www.HappyForNoReason.com/
Mindful Musings 