Be like the sun: move slowly, radiate warmth, shine

The summer so far has been a busy one, and last week was especially crazy. At the end of the week we were still playing “catch-up”, and spent a good part of Saturday morning rushing around trying to finish up errands and tasks that we didn’t have time for earlier, before we headed out the door for a family activity.

Rushing leaves me and Chris grouchy and the children whining, and it makes me resent things that sounded fun when we planned them.

By Saturday evening, I knew that it was time to change the pace. We made the rest of the weekend about slowing down and ignoring the “to-do” list. Once the pace slowed down, we were able to enjoy ourselves. And that, my friends, is how I would like the rest of this summer to be.

So, I am giving myself a personal challenge: to be like the sun.

Radiate Warmth

I’m striving to be mindful of what my family hears from me. I want to focus on listening to myself and how I speak to my spouse and my children: am I talking to them with love? Or, am I barking orders and rushing them from task to task?

In discipline situations, am I losing my temper? Or am I reacting with a measured voice and a gentle but firm tone? Am I getting louder as the children get louder? Or am I staying the course, moving slowly and compassionately, to guide us out of the moment?

Move Slowly

Summer comes and we try to squeeze events, outings, and family get-togethers on the calendar before school begins again. If I’m not mindful, it would be easy to get caught up in a faster pace. But there are only 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week, no matter how fast we move or how full we fill them.

A few well-chosen events that we can enjoy and from which we make memories is better than rushing from event to event and not feeling like we get to enjoy any of it.

Enjoy the Sunsets

The literal sunsets are lovely, of course, but what I mean here is allowing myself to take a break and enjoy it, guilt free. Even the sun sets and lets the moon take over for a while.

We need down time in each day.

New Chance to Shine

Every day is a new chance to shine. Perhaps I was grouchy or spoke too harshly yesterday. Maybe I set goals for myself that I didn’t reach or said something I regret. We all have moments we wish we could take back. But, every day is a new day, a time to begin again.

A fresh chance to shine.

Have you been feeling rushed lately? Remember this week that you are someone’s sunshine, so slow down, radiate warmth, and shine!