Journaling Jems

Journaling Gems Newsletter Archives
August 2006 Edition
© 2006, Rosemary Augustine

BEAT THE HEAT... ENJOY THE SUMMER

It’s summer! It’s HOT! And many of you may find your energy zapped! What can we do as we languish in the summer heat, besides take it easy? Here are a few suggestions that may help turn a hot summer into a summer of enJoy…

Take a Nap – and dream… Dream BIG when you nap. Napping is known for rejuvenating the soul, increasing creativity, give you energy and more. Treat yourself to this gem of time.

Read – self-improvement, how to books, novels, or mysteries. Head off to your local library and check out the “New Arrivals” section. This summer, my library has a list of “What To Read At the Beach.” If you are not a reader, become one. Last summer I went on a reading rampage and recommended a long list. If you haven’t read any of them yet, you can still find the list at www.careeradvice.com and click on “bookstore.” Lay in your lounge chair and READ!

Play Games – and play games that challenge your brain and/or make you think about strategy. Remember, I’m thinking about games you can do while you are lying in your lounge chair not sitting at the computer. Just about every daily newspaper has a crossword puzzle and a few other “mind teasers.” A few of my favorites are the cryptograms, word jumbles and sudoku.

Visualize – what’s next?… a new job… a new career… a new love… a new life! Visualize as though you are in the present moment – living it. Shakti Gawain’s book “Creative Visualization” is an excellent tool for this exercise. Find it at your local library or bookstore and begin to implement visualization into your life.

Laugh – there’s a lot to be said for the “Joke of the Day.” Find humor in yourself, others, and the world around you. Life sometimes is taken too seriously, so lighten up and laugh as often as you can throughout the day. You may find humor around you as you laze in the backyard.

People Watch / Life Watch – No matter where you go you can watch people, and I’m sure you will agree, people are fun to watch. You can also just watch the world go by observing life – birds, insects, trees or even the clouds in the sky. This exercise will improve your observation skills as well as may add a bit of humor to the moment or provoke thought about life overall.

And if you must get up from your lounge chair and really do something? Try this next one:

Take a Class – learn something new this summer. Retail stores like Michael’s and AC Moore’s have all kinds of arts and craft classes, or check your local community college, library or other places you may find adult education classes. Make the time to learn something new.

And best of all this hot summer: have fun, eat ice cream and stay cool!!!!

Warmest Regards,

Rosemary Augustine Y

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Presented by: Rosemary Augustine
Author of "How To Live and Work Your Passion and Still Earn a Living"
© 2005, Rosemary Augustine