SAYING YES TO SAVORING SUMMER
and no to overwhelm and overplanning and overfilling my days
Hi, Friends!
After a good night’s sleep, I woke up today, grabbed my coffee, and sat down to do my Morning Pages. A page or so in, I found myself asking for guidance. I had two interesting and inspiring opportunities and wasn’t sure which to choose. One was a 3-week class on shaping our offerings and the other was a weeklong writer’s book revision bootcamp. Intuitively, I knew I could benefit from both and liked both instructors having previously taken classes from them.
As I do when I write for guidance, I asked a question and then paused to listen. When I felt an urge to move my pen again, I did my utmost not to think about what I was writing but to simply write. I tried not to let my preferences get in the way. Through a series of conversational exchanges on the page, the answer appeared, and my body felt immediate relief.
As is usually the way of this wisdom voice within, the answers are short and clear.
“Neither of these are urgent and you can let them go.”
Boom.
I felt immediately as if I knew this was the answer even though I had a strong desire to participate in these offerings. I took the time to write both instructors- who were not even expecting an email from me, and told them how much I valued their work and that I hoped to attend another time. (Give people their flowers now. ) I felt buoyant!
When we take the time to listen to our inner guidance instead of rushing ahead in excitement, we can find our inner clarity. I love learning and enjoy being in groups who want to learn together, so there was a desire to participate, but my inner wisdom knew my deeper longing. I want to slow down, make more space, and spend a more leisurely summer simply enjoying my life and listening more deeply to what life is offering as a personal curriculum. When we fill up every hour or keep piling on new projects, we leave little for discovery, wonder, and revelation.
So, this summer I have hit the pause button on my memoir. I am reading, planting flowers, and taking walks in the sunshine. Instead of taking a class, I decided to create a slow summer bookclub. This way, I get to enjoy a learning community at the pace of summer ease and I get to give something back to my paying community of subscribers.
SLOW SUMMER BOOKCLUB STARTS JUNE 23 - Time to get your book!
If you’d like to join us in the Slow Summer Book Club - you’re invited! No cramming or rushing or stressing. Just read a bit + practice some creative tools together, check-in and share, and then go back to planting flowers or swimming or picnics or hikes or whatever your summer vibes are. It is open to all paying subscribers. If you are currently a free subscriber ( thank you for being here!) it’s a good time to upgrade to our membership. I am currently offering 30% off an annual subscription but only through the start of the bookclub on June 30. This is how you will receive the weekly Friday check in emails and Zoom links and replays for bookclub gatherings. It’s a great time to join us! Upgrade to paid below to join bookclub.
My inner wisdom helped me remember that what I had initially desired was ease for the summer. Not classes or boot camps or lessons or major projects. Summer vibes, like when we were kids. Time to rest, lie in the hammock, plant flowers, play, cook, see friends, spend time with my family, and enjoy this little beautiful life.
xo Mary
These quotes fell into my lap ( or screen) this week and I dare say not accidentally.
Then this one perfectly articulated my definition of success ( and in flowers!) :
3 THINGS WORTH SHARING:
How To Tell A Story: An Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from THE MOTH. Not familiar with THE MOTH podcast? If you love stories, you will love the live storytelling by people sharing a pivotal story from their own lives.
The Women by Kristin Hannah. Another book! It’s summer! I can’t say that the book is light fare because it’s about nurses during the war in Vietnam, but I’ve been hearing raves from so many friends that I’ve started it So far, it’s a great read!
THANK YOU! 💚
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“Personal Curriculum”—I’m saving this! Makes me think of “Curriculum Vitae” or CV. As I’ve been looking for employment off and on the past year, and finally getting some traction in recent weeks, I’ve thought about what my resume/CV would actually say if it reflected “the whole of my life”—the English translation for CV. Putting it in these terms enlarges this idea altogether! If Life/God/Self is a teacher, what am I learning right now? What classroom am I in? What readings & resources might support this learning? Something for me to journal about soon!