Summer is all about color. Everywhere we look, vibrant hues pop across the landscape of our lives – in every storefront window, throughout each summer travel commercial, and across the pages of our supermarket flyers. It’s all very exciting and refreshing.
Somehow the colors of summer make things lighter, fresher and more playful. I am a HUGE fan of color. Plain and simple, I feel at home with color; it energizes me and makes me happy. So when I thought of writing a summer splash series, my mind went first to color. How I crave color in every part of my life and how it makes me feel alive and refreshed.
Colorful food…books…office supplies…walls…friendships…dinnerware…restaurants. The list goes on and on. Splashes of color make life interesting. For me, color represents so much more than a hue or pigment. It represents a great big…AHHH. A deep exhale that stills and captivates me. It’s something I can’t live without and I’m drawn to it without thought or planning.
Your great big AHHH may not be color, but you get the idea. These splashes of color are symbolic of what makes us feel at home in ourselves.
We have to have those moments in our life. The kind that helps us breathe deep and sink stressless into our exhale. They don’t have to be time-consuming, costly or detailed. They just need to remind us of a few things that we too often forget…even in the slower summer months.
Our ToDo list should always include splashes of color to feed our soul.
Our longer days should always include splashes of color to help our soul breathe.
Our priorities should always include splashes of color to ground us in who we were created to be.
It isn’t self-indulgence, and it goes beyond self-care. It’s getting in touch with what makes us tick…what makes joy bubble up inside of us. And so often, it catches us completely by surprise. But if we stay hemmed in on all sides by our color-blocked calendars, we’ll remain more in touch with our doing than our being because the minutes of our day won’t have time for the kind of spontaneous splashes of color our soul needs.
CREATIVITY. Connections. DREAMING. Reflection. SILENCE. Brainstorming. SIMPLICITY. Space. COMMUNITY. Movement. ENERGY. Rituals. ROUTINES. Timelessness.
What splashes of color is your soul longing for this summer?
Where can you find space in your long summer days to feed your unique self?
I’ve been asking myself these same questions. Because sometimes life fills the calendar for us, and that’s the season I’m in right now. But that doesn’t mean I have to give up my paintbrush.
There is always space in the margins. There has to be. Whatever the day, there are always slivers of time to feed our soul. We just have to honor them.
As I write this, I’ve been doing my best to take my own advice. I just finished my 3rd dance class, and it is such a welcome break from all the new home renovations. That travel journal is no longer on my ‘someday’ list, and I’m really enjoying reliving the memories as I’m putting it together. I love the city, and especially in the summer because it takes on a different personality. This week, I decided to take a walking lunch once a week and explore some new lunch options because I work downtown.
There is always space in the margins. There has to be. Whatever the day, there are always slivers of time to feed our soul. We just have to honor them. Share on XSo, if you need a few ideas, how about some of these. I’d love to hear in the comments how you are incorporating summer splashes of color into your long days.
For the Creative
Create a summer travel journal.
Create a “my favorites” bulletin board in your space.
Take a cooking class.
For the Extrovert
Take a dance class.
Plan a toast party with friends.
Take a nap under a shade tree.
For the Introvert
Join a summer book club.
Spend time in nature.
Take a painting class.
For the Planner
Refresh your home with splashes of color.
Plan a walking taco movie night with friends.
Create mason jar salads for work lunches
For the Thinker
Explore a new hobby.
Brainstorm a personal growth plan.
Walk in the rain.
For the Doer.
Lose time in a perfect beach read.
Take a personal retreat day.
Start a small, indoor herb garden
“Finding spiritual whitespace isn’t about carving out an hour of time to escape the things that stress us. It’s the opposite. It’s getting away from everything we do to distract ourselves from all the hidden pieces—in order to nurture our soul. It’s getting away from the lie that spiritual rest is something we have to work hard at in order to get closer to God.”
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