Savour Summer While it Lasts
(and Boost Your Creativity!)

Summer’s here and it’s time for some fun.  Canadians only get to experience warm air, deep blue skies and delightfully green foliage for a few months of the year and if you’re not careful, it can slip by without you even noticing.

If you’re like me, you may struggle to slow down and pay attention to the gloriousness of summer unfolding.  Your attention may be focused on big projects or building your business or dealing with challenging situations in the workplace or at home.  If you have kids, you may have the added stress of coordinating their summer schedule and making sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be at the right time, along with planning vacations.

Suddenly, summer will have been and gone again, and you may find that you missed it.  Yet it doesn’t actually take much to appreciate summer in the moment, simultaneously boosting your creativity by breaking your routine to be inspired anew by your surroundings, and increasing your sense of enjoyment in life (which makes you better prepared to manage those big projects, build your business or address challenging situations).  A quick and easy way to experience more of summer is to tap into your senses:

1. Listen: how does summer sound? As you walk to the subway or drive along city streets, take a moment to notice what you can hear: a summer breeze rifling playfully through tree leaves, a chorus of bird song overhead, the uplifted voices of people released from winter’s cold grip and reveling in the warm sun.
2. See: how does summer look?  Notice the colours and shapes that come with summer in the form of blooming flowers, different leaf varieties, puffy white clouds drifting lazily across a blue sky, brightly coloured patio furniture and brightly coloured clothes hanging loosely on tan shoulders.
3. Sniff: how does summer smell?  Sweet flowers, warm grasses, outdoor cooking, even the gasoline from a boat can all bring you back to summer in the simplest of ways, their smells passing effortlessly through your nostrils for you to observe in the moment.
4. Touch: how does summer feel on your skin?  The heat of the sun or a refreshing burst of wind swooping down a street and glancing off your skin can wake you up to summer in an instant, and leave you wanting more.
5. Taste: what flavours can you find in summer?  Toasted marshmallow ice cream (my new favourite), fruity cocktails or a crisp wine sipped on a patio or deck, salmon or grilled corn on a BBQ… whatever your particular summer indulgence, take the time to savour it while it lasts.

You don’t have to have a big vacation planned to enjoy summer (although I wouldn’t knock that either).  All it takes is your five senses and a willingness to notice what is happening right now.  These precious moments can become the summer you may have thought you didn’t have time for, boosting your creativity and enhancing the quality of your experience overall.

Are you looking to boost your creativity this summer to figure out what’s next in your career?  
The Listen, Sense, Grow coaching program does just that: boosts your creativity and helps you think differently, so you can see and act on the many opportunities that exist already.  Find out more here, and plan to attend a free Information Session on Wednesday, June 28th from 7-8pm – contact me to register.