Summer Fun!
Yes, summer is for taking time, taking the time to enjoy sunshine and the outdoors. And, it is the time to stop, especially when it seems that there is too much going on and questions of purpose and why arise to consciousness.
Building a business takes time and energy. To be successful, one’s job is to listen and build from one’s authentic self. It takes much time and patience to be attentive to one’s own truth, but it is an essential process for building the business.
For the past 20 months I have stayed fairly focused, for me. The website was created, I have joined networking groups, given presentations, set goals and have had moments of questioning my motives as well as moments of exhilaration. None-the-less, I have definitely been inching, moving forward. After a week of pretty intense work on several projects, I have been in a period of sluggish energy and questioning. These times are often difficult and frustrating. It’s always more fun to move happily forward in exhilaration. More contemplative times often seem to yield more questions!
This morning I read and looked at three postings on Facebook. One was a notice of the death of a friend’s faithful puppy companion. As tears rolled down my face I felt extreme empathy for her. I remembered puppies in my past, especially Cody-Bear, our previous Golden, and Daisy-Mae, my sweet soul-mate, Bearded Collie. The second posting was a repeat of an older sharing, two buddies, an elephant and her pal, a cute dog; they were inseparable. The third was a video with fantastic examples about why dogs were created. Each was spot-on and pathetically, more tears trickled down my cheeks. These sharings gave me several moments of stopping the chatter going on in my being about business building and tasks on my plate. In the awakening, while dwelling on the relationships of us humans and our furry friends, I realized it was time to set some thoughts down. Thoughts about the business of moving forward, or as my Grandmother and Mother used to say, “the Art of Making Haste Slowly”.
My mind rushed on to think about building my business and the present sense of dis-ease that was arising from within. Perhaps this turmoil meant it was time to stop and reevaluate where I am now and where I am going and ask again that question, what do you really want to do? It is so easy to get caught up in the energy of doing. We get so caught up in the energy of going for that goal. F.M. Alexander called that end-gaining! End-gaining is what happens when we become blind to the process and therefore lose track of signs along the way that perhaps we are evolving and need to listen to a different drummer. Pausing will most always bring us back to being aware and in the process.
The dog stories brought to mind the importance of taking time to be with our loved ones, our pets, our friends. It seems that the point again returns to balance. Balance between work, play, family. Summer brings longer days with more awake time. We have a choice of using that time for the same old forging forward or to insert a bit more leisure, renewal, and contemplation. It occurs to me that for many of us the sunshine brings with it more energy just when perhaps we need to be more conscious of balance and quiet some of that energy.
Summer is for taking time! The sun shines and here in Portland, Oregon we are blessed with sunshine and cool breezes. It is the time to pause and take the time to ask again, what do I really want to do? What is important? It is the time now to stop, exhale and regroup. Once again Breath is the Answer and Summer is for taking that time,practicing the Art of Making Haste Slowly!