You Can Still Have the Best Summer Ever

Summer is the great playtime of the year. It’s like recess; a break from the responsibilities. Except when it’s not. 

I find myself holding this idea that summer should be FANTASTIC and FUN and SUN. But there’s still laundry and cooking and vacuuming. The bills keep coming and the everyday-ness of life still happens. 

How can we enjoy summer for the respite that it is, while still living in the real world? 

Awhile back I discovered something that worked really well for me. It’s not a three-step system, but a mindset, a filter for your summer.

I’m watching calendar days fly by, and I’m filled with equal parts excitement and dread. The shifting from school year to routines and bedtimes to the long days of summer that feel anything but lazy feels tricky. And then the reality that it all switches back soon leaves me dizzy.

I was inspired a few years ago when I watched a webinar by Lysa Terkeurst.  It was around the time she launched her book The Best Yes (which I highly recommend.) Everything she said made sense and I found myself nodding along, but one thing stuck with me well beyond the webinar.

Choose a Word

When faced with the season ahead, she prayed and asked God to show her one word that would become her litmus test for all other things that season. I don’t remember what her word was, but I remember that it felt easy. It wasn’t one more thing on my endless lists. No, this idea brought freedom.

I couldn’t narrow it down to one word, so I came up with three: family, books, and relax.

These were the very things my family needed most that summer. Every time we had an opportunity to do something, an invitation, a request, a plea, I ran my litmus test:

Does it support family, books and relaxing?

If the answer was yes, we ran to it. If the answer was no, it gave me permission to say it wasn’t right for us right now. I let go, and it felt great.

Your words will be different. My words this year are different (although I’m thinking that family one is sticking around!) And the ones that started my summer are shifting. We have permission to change.

Here are a few ideas to get us thinking:

• family
• peace
• joy
• fun
• adventure
• helpful
• quiet
• busy
• relaxed
• home
• water
• outdoors

These are just a few ideas! Your summer can have whatever look you want it to. Choosing a word (or a few) that are the goals you have for this season will enable you to make choices that give you the summer you want.

We get to choose how the rest of our summer goes. Click To Tweet

Yes, there are things we still need to do. The laundry needs to get done (although maybe less if you spend long days in bathing suits). We still need to feed our people (but maybe relaxed means simple meals outside or more takeout). Work needs to happen, and the lawn still needs to be mowed. But when we make our choices through the lens we want to look through, it will be a lot more enjoyable.

This test is not one more thing to do. It is the very thing that will free you to let go so you can create your best summer ever!

What words will you use to create your best summer ever?

---

Check out these great sites I’m linking up with: Literacy Musing Mondays, Purposeful Faith, Tea & Word Tuesday, Abounding Grace, Tell His Story, Porch Stories, Let’s Have Coffee, Worth Beyond Rubies, Moments of Hope, Tune in Thursday, Dance with Jesus, Fresh Market Friday, Faith ‘n Friends, Blogger Voices Network, Grace & Truth, Heart Encouragement