When Summer ends

It’s the beginning of September as I write this. I’ve noticed a theme in the last few days on social media which I’ll simply refer to as the end of Summer blues. 

Many of my friends have children of school age. So the holiday photos are quickly replaced by the obligatory first day of school pics. As they do this I see many reflections on how wonderful the Summer has been, joyous holidays, lots of time with family and friends, batteries recharged… you get the picture. 

It has me asking, why isn’t the joy of Summer a constant state in our lives? 

Yes, the weather helps but I don’t believe that the weather alone is the source of happiness and joy. Snow at Christmas brings the same joy, after all. Instead, perhaps it’s the togetherness and permission to play that is responsible for Summer joys ... and then the Autumn woes. 

Why do we settle for a life of intense bursts of joy and connection for a couple of months of the year? Why do we allow ourselves the rest of the time to feel like we’re on the hamster wheel just looking forward to those moments? 

We wait. We enjoy. We wait again. We know Summer will come. We know we’ll get quality time with family and friends in those short but intense bursts. The permission that we give ourselves is to be on the hamster wheel, to accept the drudgery of the rest of the year. Instead the permission that we could give ourselves could be to create a life where the joys of Summer and togetherness are a constant state of being, not something that we work towards for the rest of the year. What if that state of being were the everyday?

This requires us to believe in possibility. And to be uncomfortable.

I believe in possibility. Hell, I believe in the impossible. That’s a pretty good place to start in creating an amazing life lived in a constant state of fulfilment and perfection. Everything that’s in the way can be changed: that’s what possibility is.  

So what’s really stopping you? What’s really leading you to permit yourself to allow the end of Summer blues to be a thing? I assert that it’s not the thing you think it is. It’s not the demands of work or needing to earn money. It’s not school schedules. It’s not the weather. But it might be a discomfort in believing that another way is possible - and a belief that you can do it. But possibility lives outside of our comfort zone. 

So, what will you take on this year to change that story? How will you ensure that how you are being from Summer to Autumn to Winter is a state of constancy and joy? 

Have a chat with me and we’ll explore what that might look like for you. So much of my work as a coach is in support of designing an amazing work-life balance for my clients. But work-life balance doesn’t exist in a Summer holiday. It exists in the everyday. So, how will you commit to changing your everyday in service of togetherness and the permission to play?

Here’s to the joys of Autumn (and Winter and Spring and Summer). Here’s to everyday joy.