The Summer of You!

This summer, I have been encouraging you all to make it the Summer of You. Lets break down what that actually means. It is the Summer you look inward, rather that outward at what it is you want, what it is you dream of, and what it is that is holding you back, it is so very simple, but not easy. We get swept into our busy calendars and lives and before you know it, September is here and we are exhausted, have not made progress and perhaps did make some good memories, but at the expense of our own wellbeing and here we are, not making the internal shifts we know we need to make in order to become who we are mean’t to be, it’s exhausting….

There is another way, and the way is within you, and the guide is within you, and let me help you tap into that genius that is you. The key is simplicity, so it requires you to get very clear on your vision, even if it is simply how you to experience summer, and more often than not, your old ways or what you “see” on line are not in reality how to do it, at least not some of what we observe or believe to be true. The answer lies within you, it is found in nature, it is often in silence, and it requires daily spiritual time to center your mind/body and spirit. The summer of you is a spiritual journey, one that ignites the spirit within, and connects with the spirit and energy of what is around us be it nature, people, experiences or the simple effects of sun, water, earth, and air. You do not have to do a deep dive into these topics, if you are interested, by all means, do that, however, what is important and what most people miss is the deep dive into you, which is the deep dive into quiet moments each day that allow time and space for reflection, presence, visualization and clarity. This is the key, this is the place to begin each day, and with that, you base your experiences around that, that being your vision and making sure that your values are defined and aligned. This is applicable to life, and while building our foundation, we create formulas to help us create our daily habits and rituals which support our best selves and our best lives. Don’t allow another season to go by, it will in fact fly by, and the changes you desire will once again be put off until you are ready…. Let’s turn that theory on it’s head, because this is just deflection, it is fair, it is not understanding there might be a better way or that you have the power within, you really do. This requires you to tap into the power of NOW, now is the right time, and this is the Summer of You!

Top Tips to Create the Summer of You:

—Get clear on your Vision, what do you want to create this summer, how do you want to look, feel, describe what an ideal day looks like, and what you feel like, and what is most important to you (values).

—Assess where you are now, and where you want to be, and see what the gap is, what is it that you need to change to create more of what you want, and what do you need to do or address to remove what is not working for you?

—Calendar & Planning: Review your calendar, and take an honest look at what is on there and how it aligns (or does not with what is most important to you). This is the boundaries part of Living HIPP, you do need to be a gate keeper (the gate keeper trend on SM is just that a trend), I say be the gate keeper of your calendar, your energy, your priorities and commitments, it is a success strategy of life, one that the sooner you learn, the more you earn (time, income, joy, purpose, authenticity, positive relationships, positive spirit and living).

—Morning Time: This has been part of my life since becoming a “Mom Boss” 22 years ago, it began before that just for exercise, but it evolved into spiritual/personal growth time for me. This changes depending on your season of life, when my kids were little, it was exercise and perhaps some reading (we are talking a few pages devotional), and it grew to more, through gratitude, journaling, affirmations and prayer/meditation time (and I switch things out, gratitude is the consistent practice, as it meditation and my approach is very informal and relaxed). You don’t have to dedicate the entire morning, just begin with 10 minutes a day to begin, if you can commit more, do it, you will feel grounded, balanced and mentally prepared for the day, it works!

—Movement: Exercise, in Living HIPP, it is a must do daily activity. We recommend walking outside every day, no matter what, again, even a 10 minute fresh air refresh sesh can do wonders, clearly more is better, but for now, use walking as a daily do, and if you are trying to change a habit (eating/drinking/scrolling) replace it with a walk. Do it with a friend (lift each other up, listen to each other, and have great conversation or laughter). Do it alone (this is important too) and listen to nature, or use this time for a Podcast, I suggest personal growth, something that inspires you, helps you and fills your spirit with hope and vibrancy.

—Enough is Enough: Okay, I have not used this term much on the blog or vlogs but this simply means, knowing when enough is enough and this is for those of you that feel you need to do more, more exercise, more performing, more work, more cleaning, more more more!!!!! No my darling, less less less…. Less is More, and when we learn to simplify, and find that balance of productivity and peace, that is where the magic exists. Some need to learn not to “do” all the time (while we praise people for performance and productivity) it is not really the best thing or living your best life. Being is where it is at, how are you being, and how are you able to know the difference between the too!

—Hydration & Happy Hour: We have fallen for the belief that drinking alcohol is what creates the fun times in Summer (I surely did). I get it, we have all had our fun, and not everyone needs to remove it, but what if we changed the narrative, and leveled the playing field a bit more (drinking dehydrates your body/mind which impacts your spirit, you think you are having fun, and maybe u are for a hot minute but for the next 24 hours, it is dulling your spirit, your vibrancy and it is destroying your body (unless you truly drink moderately, which most people say they do, but lets be honest, they don’t, they just don’t binge or go completely nuts, we need to redefine this, especially at middle age). What if you drank less? Yep, what if you made this less of a thing in your life, what if you did not care about the social norms and become part of the new social, which is inclusion, we don’t care what is in your drink, we just care that you raise a glass, have some fun, and hydrate well (and that is remove toxins like this from your clean living habits, and at least, cut back on them). You heard it here first…. The real Happy Hour comes in the morning, it is for the HIPP AF lifestyle that is sans alcohol, and wakes up with bright eyes, and see’s clearly, it is most definitely the best and worst kept secret. In HIPP, we don’t punish ourselves or miss out, we just take care of ourselves and begin the process to discover more about what makes us feel good, not just in the moment, but sustainable feel good vibes, and AF lifestyle and discovery is a thing, it is about making it less of a thing in our lives, and for most, that is a process, and at HIPP, we know it well. Let’s redefine how we have fun, and be able to do so without betraying ourselves or our body/mind/spirit. Progress over Perfection, that is our approach, that is where the majority needs to be, because it is in that work, that we begin the process of truly living better. This applies to everyone that drinks, because it is not about the drinking, it is about the thinking…. No shame, no judgement, no anything, just living better and learning to live in alignment with how you want to look & feel, and finding alternatives approaches to old habits, beliefs and behaviors.

—Top 10 Summer List: I have written about this and talk about it every year. I suggest this for all families or Moms, to do every summer and to have big and small things on the list, it is fun, it is purposeful and it helps make sure you are making memories and are seasonal in your approach to living. When it comes to YOU and the Summer of You, I suggest a top 10 list just for you and this should include things that are centered around Body/Mind/Spirit. What can you commit to this summer that will help your body be more fit, stronger, healthier (through either exercise or eating or both)? What can you do to exercise your mind and mindset, in addition to morning practice (I call them magical mornings as mine are AF), add specific tools like affirmations or mantras to anchor you this Summer. Self Love and Self Talk are so very important to living HIPP, we all have a conversation with ourselves daily (it actually is the most we communicate with someone, ourselves), what are the words you are saying, what are the thoughts you are sharing and how are you treating yourself? Speak love into yourself, speak life into your life, and make sure that conversation is positive and not negative, we all go negative in our self talk, it is human nature and habit, begin to change that conversation and this is the Summer of You, so make it happen NOW!

—Day Trips: Summer is time for family and friends, so hopefully you are vacationing, traveling or doing more recreation as people do in this season, for some, it is a tradition and what they share with others. Be sure to add day trips to your adventures this summer, and these can be with the people you love, and I suggest adding a few for just you. Time alone is important too, it allows for going inward and igniting your spirit, it allows for getting to know yourself better, and this relationship you have with yourself is important, and time to nurture it means that you build it and therefore, show up better in your life and for those you love. I love alone time, in fact, I need it, in order for me to show up for others and to be who I want to be, I need to reset, retreat, and restore my mind and spirit and time alone and rest is important in that. A day trip does not need to require the entire day, this can mean a full day trip to a location you don’t frequent or you want to discover, or it can be as simple as a trip to the farm stand, turn your errand into an experience, that is the vibe we are after, that is in fact living HIPP!

Self Care: The Summer of You requires Self Care, it requires Daily Habits and Rituals, many of which I mentioned above, it requires planning and it also requires commitment, make this a priority and you will both feel and see it’s positive effects. This also allows you more time, and this is because you are not going through the motions, and no longer part of the rat race, you are living with mindfulness and you are discerning how you spend your time, you are equally valuing hard work with rest, both are important, and balance is the pinnacle for wholeness, because women have been trying to reach unrealistic expectations and rather than just lower the bar, why don’t we just redefine the bar, and bring balance back, it is not a bad word, it is not about perfection (that is a bad word), it is about seeking to live whole and that a balanced life, one that is centered in a foundation, that helps us sustain and build a life we love. It is solid and it is the ability to lead with love and not fear, to make progress and not focus on perfection, to create more and do less, to be authentic and unapologetic, to put our family first, without guilt, shame or having to perform and meet someone