Summer Solstice Reflection: Do You Need to Become Summer?

The season has changed. That doesn't mean you have to.

I've always found the summer solstice fascinating 🌻

For months we've been moving towards it - having more daylight, lighter mornings and longer evenings -

and then, when we reach the longest day of the year, the days begin getting shorter again.

There's something wonderfully ironic about that to me.

That's because nature never stands still 🌍 Never reaches a destination and stays there.

She's constantly moving, constantly changing, constantly transitioning.

Which makes me wonder -

How much easier would life feel if we stopped expecting ourselves to remain the same all the time? 🤔

Expecting ourselves to have the same energy, the same motivation, the same needs, the same capacity.

Even the same habits and routines, the things we do day in day out.

Our bodies are constantly changing too!

🌱 Some days asking for movement.

🏔️ Some days asking for rest.

🌻 Some days asking us to get out there and express ourselves.

🍂 Other days asking us to slow down and listen.

And perhaps that's where we sometimes get ourselves into trouble. 🙄

When summer arrives, it can be easy to assume we're supposed to feel summery too.

Somehow we should have more energy.

More motivation.

Be doing more.

Going out more.

But maybe that's not the invitation at all.

Maybe the invitation is simply to notice.

To notice what's happening around us.

To notice what's happening within us.

And to recognise that no matter what season is unfolding outside, we can learn to move with the seasons unfolding within us too.

Not forcing ourselves to fit the season, but allowing the season to help us better understand ourselves 🙏

Happy Solstice ☀️

P. S. and ☝️ 1st Quarter blessings too! 🌓 🌱 😉