The street cleaner and honoring cycles.

Hello Beauty,

The street cleaner came by early this morning. Instead of doing his usual summer time single pass down the street he circled back and around several times. Back and forth, around and around until all the leaves were gone. It took a while, which lets me know something.

The season, it is changing.

I notice my energy changing also. As I savor the golden light and longer shadows I feel renewed vitality. You see, each year in late July, early August, I slip into a bit of a slump. I feel flat and any kind of initiative is hard to come by. Kind of like a reverse Seasonal Affect Disorder. For years I was caught off guard by the abrupt change of mood for what seemed like no reason. I thought I was weird for not liking summer and wanting more naps. Then when August made its way towards September my energy would return. A couple of years ago I saw it was a pattern, a cycle . Every summer the same thing happened.

I decided to stop fighting the cycle.

I wanted to see what it was like when I honored that, for me, summer is a time of hibernation. Guess what? I stared enjoying summer. I take afternoon naps with out guilt and pull the shades to catch up on TV during the mid-day sun. (I am sure my father is rolling over in his grave, he of the "stop reading, go play and get some sun" school of thought.) 

I let myself off the hook to have fun in the sun and I found my own pace of summer enjoyment.

I stopped expecting myself to like something I don't and forcing productivity when incubation is calling. I follow trickles of inspiration when and if they come. No surprise they began coming more easily and often.

I have my curmudgeonly moments for sure but not the flat out dread I use to experience. I have learned to dance with the season in a way that doesn't deplete me. I am not a recluse, but because I no longer force myself to do summery things or feel guilty and wrong for not wanting to, I am free to say yes to what I want and end up having lots more fun. Dare I say, even joy.

Each of us has our own rhythm and cycles that may or may not mesh with the outside world's schedules and seasons. This can have us feel out of sync, irritable or exhausted. Often we judge and push ourselves to keep a pace that is not naturally ours.

If you are feeling out of sorts for "no good reason" ask yourself if this is part of a cycle.

Are you a night owl trying to live a morning bird life? Crave alone time at the change of seasons? Get your best work done mid day when your fav productivity expert says to sit down at your desk first thing in the morning before distraction, well, distracts you? Are you expecting the anniversary of a significant event in your life, sad or happy or otherwise, to just be another day?

Notice and honor your cycles.

As a way to be more kind to yourself, as a way to find more joy, as a way to allow you to be more fully yourself. You may not be able to change the pace of the culture or the timing of the seasons. You may not have the luxury to schedule around energy ebbs and flows. But even the smallest adjustments reap huge returns in energy, enjoyment and enthusiasm for life.

Will you let me know you see for yourself here? I'd love to know. Just hit reply.

Sending you waves of all things luscious,

Sandi

Also, I've been talking about guidance on the blog. Give them a look:

randomness on tuesday

some words on guidance